


Ashes of An Amoral Affiliation

by EarlApril



Category: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Abduction, Age of Calamity has just come out so this fanfic needs minor edits, Alcohol, Alive Champions (Legend of Zelda), Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Romance, Assassination Attempt(s), Assassination Plot(s), Assassins & Hitmen, BAMF Link (Legend of Zelda), BAMF Reader, Be back soon!, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Brainwashing, Breath of the Wild Spoilers, Canon Divergence, Character Death, Child Soldiers, Civil War, Class Differences, Conspiracy, Conspiracy Theories, Cross-Posted on Quotev, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Cults, Dark Comedy, Dark Humor, Dark Magic, Diary/Journal, Divination, During Breath of the Wild, Earl-April, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Enemy Lovers, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Evil Plans, Extremism, F/M, Fanfiction, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Good versus Evil, Hierarchy, Inequality, Jealousy, Kidnapping, Kingdom of Hyrule, Legend of Zelda References, Link (Legend of Zelda) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Link (Legend of Zelda) Needs a Hug, Link Being Reader's Conscience, Link and Reader A Comedic Duo, Link and Reader Are Dorks, Link is Here To Make Sure Reader Doesn't Misbehave, Love, Love Confessions, Magic, Magical Artifacts, Major Original Character(s), Manipulation, Memory Loss, Minor Character(s), Minor Original Character(s), Misunderstandings, Morally Ambiguous Character, Multi-Era, Multiple Endings, Murder, Mystery, Necromancy, OR IS IT, Paired Chapters, Past Brainwashing, Past Child Abuse, Past and Present, Patriarchy, Philosophy, Plot, Political Alliances, Politics, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War, Pre-Breath of the Wild, Pre-War, Propaganda, Racism, Radicalism, Reader Can't Stand Link's Sidequests, Reader Lacks Morals, Reader Loves Anything Shiny, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Rebellion, Religion, Religious Conflict, Religious Cults, Romance, Royalty, Secret Identity, Secret Organizations, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Self-Insert, Sexism, Sexual Content, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smut, Star-crossed, Strong Language, Talking Link (Legend of Zelda), This fanfic is not dead I just need some time to make them before I release the next chapter, Two Storylines, Underage Drinking, War, alter ego, evil reader, mature - Freeform, you - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:13:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 27,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24364111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EarlApril/pseuds/EarlApril
Summary: On a dark, rainy night, you encounter a lost traveler in Hyrule Fields. The man almost leads you to your death, despite only knowing him for less than a day. Though, as you make every attempt to carry on with your work, you keep running into him wherever you go. It seems Hylia keeps intertwining your paths over and over as you slowly uncover your past and your destiny.
Relationships: Link (Legend of Zelda) & Reader, Link/Reader, Minor Characters/Reader, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 66





	1. Introduction

## Introduction

* * *

Hey guys,

I just want to thank you all for taking the time to read this! I've been a fan of the LoZ for such a long time and although I didn't take an interest in BoTW for quite a while, I was shocked by how surprisingly well-made and different it is to other LoZ games. And when I did play it, I was very angry at myself for not playing it sooner! It has even risen to the top spot as one of my favorite LoZ games, up there with Twilight Princess and Majora's Mask! I hope you enjoy this fanfiction!

This fanfic has been heavily inspired by Merlin, Tangled: The Series, Harry Potter franchise, My Hero Academia, Steven Universe, Steven Universe Future, The Crown, BBC's Intruders, Dororo (2019), and the Star Wars franchise along with Star Wars: Fallen Order!

 ** _SPOILER WARNING!_** This fanfic contains major spoilers for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and minor ones for other Legend of Zelda games! If you don't want anything spoiled from the complete BoTW series and wish to experience the game for yourself, don't read this! Please go play/watch it before reading this fanfiction. If you have already watched/played the game or just simply don't care about spoilers, then, by all means, proceed ahead!

As a disclaimer, I want to warn you all that this fanfiction has been flagged this story as mature. I advise you to leave now if you are underage or if the topics listed below make you uncomfortable in any way. I want to make it clear that I **DO NOT** support the themes featured in this story. Please be mindful that the mature topics listed may change due to this story being incomplete. So make sure to check the disclaimers regularly since new mature content may appear in the future. Do remember that this story is intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken to heart. The predicted age range for this story is +18, but that may change along with the topics listed. However, +18 is the overall predicted age range based on the subjects that are planned to come up in the story. I will not be held responsible for anyone's actions so if you are underage; there's obviously nothing I can physically do to stop you but do remember that this is your decision and I have nothing to do with that. Proceed on your own accord, but I will not be held accountable for anyone's actions.

\---

**_(This story is incomplete! These content warnings may change!)_ **

**Mature Content:**

\- Strong language

\- Graphic depictions of violence and gore

\- Murder/character death

\- Explicit sexual content

\- Fictional racism, discrimination, and slurs (e.g., racism against non-Hylian races)

\- Mental illness (e.g., PTSD, depression, insomnia, etc.)

\- References to rape

\- References to sexism

\---

I don't wish to see any arguments or hostile behavior in the comments. If this is directed at me or anyone else, then your comment will quickly be deleted. Everybody has three strikes. After that, you will be either muted or reported. That said, coming back to the disclaimer above; I also don't wish to see anybody or anybody's parents complaining about the mature themes. Like I mentioned before, you are reading this at your own risk, so any actions taken by you are your own responsibility. If you don't like this story, then click away and don't read it! Please don't waste everyone's time by complaining. Just like with hostile behavior, I will delete your comment as soon as it arrives. I don't want to sound aggressive, but I just want to make this clear to some people. On the other hand, I'm open to any respectful comments, constructive criticism, or questions!

Due to this being the AO3 edition, I will be moderating comments so I can monitor the 'troublesome' commenters. Don't worry yourself over it since it's only to prevent people from using vulgar words or writing anything horrible. In most cases, your comment will immediately be approved! Don't be put off from stating your opinion, whether you like the story or not! I will never delete your comment as long as it follows the guidelines listed below. I'm happy to hear your thoughts and whether you have any constructive criticism for me! Feel free to say whatever you want as long as you're being civilized and not wasting everyone's time. Listed below are the guidelines for what could (or in some cases, will) get your comment deleted so, please be mindful of what you're writing!

\---

**Comment Guidelines:**

\- No excessive use of strong language. (Limit strong language as best as you can. Since this is a mature story I will allow strong language provided the site does, but please don't go overboard with it. However, I will not tolerate any extremely offensive words such as the C-word, the N-word, or anything similar. If the word is used in the story, I will allow it.)

\- No spam. (No telling others to read your story, no links to any shady websites, no asking people to follow you on social media, no telling people to buy your stuff, etc. This wastes everyone's time and is not needed here so it will be deleted immediately. This also includes certain conversations. You are not forced to only discuss the story, but comments will be deleted if there is an extremely long conversation on just one or two topics. I would prefer it if we tried to refrain from clogging up the comment box.)

\- Be respectful. (Vulgar comments will get your comment deleted. This can range from insults to discriminatory comments such as homophobic, racist, or sexist comments.)

\- No giving out personal information. (Similar to spam, any form of giving out of your personal information will get your comment deleted. This includes things such as your phone number, email address, house address, ZIP code/postcode, etc.)

\- No grooming or predatory behavior. (This includes sexting, attempting to gain personal information, flirtation, etc.)

\- No controversial topics. (This includes political bias, opinions on people in power, religious beliefs, opinions on migration, the age of consent, etc. This can stir up a lot of never-ending arguments so please try to stay away from topics such as these. Stating your opinion is fine, since the story will discuss some big questions but comments will be deleted when arguments or heated conversations begin to arise.)

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Last, of all, I want to note that almost all of the pictures in this story don't belong to me and I do not take ownership of them. I created the cover for this story but the photo featured in the cover I don't take credit for. Credit goes to the original artist!

Breath of the Wild and the Legend of Zelda franchise are video games that belong to Nintendo, and all of the canon characters belong to them and Shigeru Miyamoto. This story is a fanfiction that is non-canon to the original game franchise with no official link to its original source. The fanfic itself and all of the minor OCs (Original Characters) in this series pertain to me. The real-life characters such as (Name) for example, belong to you, dear reader. The non-canon characters are listed below. Expect to see certain names possibly appear and disappear whenever this page gets updated.

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**_(Some full names have been removed to avoid spoilers. A full list will be provided when the story is complete!)_ **

**Real-Life Characters:**

(Name) / Reader

(Mother) / Mom

(Father) / Dad

**Earl-April's OCs:**

Minea / Third Sister Minea

Athiel / First Sister Athiel

Shi'tari / First Progenitor Shi'tari / High Lady Shi'tari

Faliath / Second Sister Faliath

Nako / Second Brother Nako

Zozilph / First Progenitor Zozilph / High Lord Zozilph

Obok / Second Progenitor Obok / Lord Obok

Nyra / Third Progenitor Nyra / Lady Nyra

Kozu / First Brother Kozu

Antid / Third Brother Antid

Cephia

Larron

Raros

Durro

Afe

Ophia

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⚠️ **Mature warning! This story contains graphic descriptions of violence and gore, explicit sexual content, strong language, and imitable behavior. This story could be potentially triggering. This story is not suitable for children or sensitive readers! Please consult the introduction for further details regarding the disclaimers. The predicted age rating for this story is +18. This warning may change. Read at your own risk!** ⚠️

Cover created by me, image featured in the cover is not mine.  
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild © Nintendo.  
(Name) © You.  
OCs © Earl-April.

© 2020– EARL-APRIL ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Text copyright © Earl-April 2020–

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

If you wish to contact me, you can either email me, send me a message through Wattpad or Tumblr.

**For frequent updates on the progress of this fanfiction, check my Tumblr feed!**

Email: YandereswithKnives@gmail.com

Tumblr: <https://earl-april.tumblr.com/>  
  


**This story contains multiple endings. All endings are equally true for neither ending is the right one, just like how no end is the wrong one. Whether you like the ending you get is up to you.**

May Hylia watch over your journey, young... _hero_.


	2. Prelude

## Prelude

* * *

_The beginning of a disaster can always be tied down something small preceding its start._

_Many events, big and small, can lead to one massive turn for the worst._

_If those events were erased or changed, then perhaps a different outcome would have taken place._

_Though, sometimes events can be orchestrated_ _or manipulated to lead to a desired outcome._

_Three people were responsible for the plan of the first Calamity and to bring about the Fall of Hyrule._

_The small society of followers that grew in the shadows of Hyrule was reborn after their master, Calamity Ganon, was sealed away to bide his time for the next chance to reclaim his kingdom._

_Three loyal servants of Calamity Ganon were instructed to create the bonds and the severs to make a massive change that would be woven into history._

_These three servants were crowned and given their own servants, who in turn got their own servants in the form of an army._

_Three servants in three divisions to contest and dethrone the royal family and serve under the supreme rule of the demon for centuries to come._

_There were always three — no more, no less._

_If one or more of the three seats was to be unoccupied or duplicated, then the whole system would crumble._

_So to maintain order and prevent the uprise of chaos and anarchy, the hierarchy was established in the image of the Triforce._

_Three men, three women, and three ruling ancients._

_The Brothers, The Sisters, and The Progenitors._   
  
  
  
  


_This policy would forever be known as The Rule of Three._


	3. Chapter 1A: The Silent Hero

## The Silent Hero

* * *

**_Journal Entry #7_ **

**[19:39]**

**[April 14th, 10333 AFGC]**

_It's one thing to be seen as valuable but another to be seen as valuable enough to be in need of protection._

_After I gained the title of Hylian Champion and The Sword's Chosen One, I was entrusted to be Princess Zelda's bodyguard. Although I still am her bodyguard, one of the king's advisors suggested that the bodyguard should have a bodyguard. So, King Rhoam assembled some guards to protect me._

_I believe the reasoning behind it is obvious. I must be preserved for the war against Calamity Ganon since I'm the one who wields the Sword that Seals the Darkness. There are a lot of foes around, not to mention, I'm a target for the Yiga Clan, so I assume they thought that the extra precaution was necessary. I appreciate the thought, of course, but I can't see the logic in it. Why am I protecting the princess when I too need protection? It's contradictory. I'm admittedly kind of angry because (although I'm sure it wasn't their intention for it to come across this way) it feels like a dismissal of my skills._

_It's been two weeks since this little policy has been put into action. It has been three since I started writing a journal to kill time and use it as an emotional outlet. I heard somewhere that it's therapeutic and a healthy way to write about anything. I've decided to just talk about my day or how I feel about X. It appears to be working so far, but I can't tell if it's just placebo. Either way, does it matter in the end? Though, I've been writing more frequently recently due to this stupid new rule. To put it bluntly: I can't take it any longer._

_A few days ago, I decided that it was in my best interest to speak with the king directly and politely ask for the whole idea to be revoked. Not to sound like a snob, but suffice it to say, the competent guards that were given the job were useless and absolute assholes. The first one, Torra, was always talking about himself and never seemed to shut up even when I asked him to be quiet so I could train. I had caught Bossak secretly taking swigs of whiskey when he thought I wasn't looking. And as for Ranga, he had an attitude on him that was borderline unprofessional, always snapping at me or speaking back to me whenever I asked anything of him. By Thursday, it was clear that I was just better off without them. I had a right to be pissed, for anyone in my position would, so as the Guard Captain, I dismissed them._

_I spoke to the king Wednesday afternoon after I arranged an audience with him. Unfortunately, it took longer to organize than I hoped since there was a first-come-first-served waiting list of people who had filled up his schedule. Eventually, I managed to get my 30-minute slot to speak to him about how I felt about the ordeal. If I wasn't able to convince him to repeal the policy, I was hoping that I could at least give an official complaint about the three guards that I had. Maybe then, I could get some replacements. The king sympathized with me but refused to rescind the idea, and instead negotiated a slight alternative. In the end, we agreed on the plan to limit the guard number from 3 to 1, much like how Princess Zelda only had me guarding her. I still disliked the idea. Yet, I was in no position to complain when I had managed to reach an adequate compromise with the king and his advisors, succeeding some reluctance from the latter. So, the meeting ended with the king informing me that they would arrange for a knight to replace Idiot 1, 2, and 3 to make up for the lower number in skill. (And secretly so I couldn't return to complain again about guards with near-novice ability.)_

_I'll be introduced to the new knight tomorrow. I'm hoping that they'll be more professional and better mannered than the last three. I just hope that they aren't too pissed about being taken away from their regular duties to have their schedule line up with mine. Torra and Ranga made it very plain that they certainly didn't._

_I guess I'll just have to wait and see._   
  


"I'm (Name). It's a privilege to make your acquaintance, Master Link! I hope we can work well together!"

You gave the blond your best smile, holding out your gloved hand. Link silently shook your hand in greeting, giving a polite nod and a half-smile. You withdrew your hand, letting it fall to your side, keeping the smile on your face as Link turned away to view what was going on in front of him. You took the time to study him, as it was the first time you had met him up close. Strong build, extremely attractive with a cool nature.

You had been informed that Link wasn't one for conversation, but that much you already knew. You had quickly picked that up from the gossip spread among the other knights and the castle staff. After being offered what was essentially a promotion for a solo job, you jumped at the opportunity and wholeheartedly accepted.

Your new job was an interesting one, and caught your attention from the moment it was proposed to you. You had to admit, a knight suddenly getting informed to guard another knight was unorthodox and perhaps a little strange, to say the least. But in retrospect, you finally understood why they had asked a knight to fulfill the role since, no offense to the guards, but none of them had the refined skill, endurance, and stamina to take on a job that was meant for three people (two being the bare minimum). The job would be difficult for sure. You were used to alternating shifts when it came to guarding nobles or royals. You would no doubt get tired, and you would have to think outside of the box if you ever got sick. Yet, you didn't feel like you had the option to turn down the job. The pay rise was enticing enough, but even if you wanted to refuse, you doubted they would maintain faith in you since they clearly expected you to accept without hesitation. There was a certain atmosphere of expectation that surrounded your superiors when the job was proposed to you, and something told you that refusal was off the table long before the thought would even cross your mind. It was a good thing you would never turn it down in the first place.

It was jaw-dropping that you had to guard Link of all people. He was the strongest and most experienced knight in the whole castle. He was remarkably proficient with many weapons, especially skilled in the art of swordsmanship. You had even heard that he was a child prodigy in combat. Not to mention, he was the Master Sword's Chosen One, Hylian Champion, Imperial Guard Captain, Hero of Hyrule (even though he hadn't really done anything yet), and Princess Zelda's personal guard. The royal family profoundly trusted him, and he was on his way to a future brighter than the sunshine coming through your bedroom window on your day off. If you were to rate yourself in comparison, you were probably a solid fourth in skill level and an eighty-third in fancy, over-the-top, bit-of-a-mouthful titles. The job wasn't asked to the second and third best knights because it was beneath them. Or maybe it was proposed, but they had the option of saying no without the small chance of being reprimanded. Either way, there was definitely an invisible line between you and the top three knights. A line that you were yet to cross.

You received a thorough briefing of what was expected of you, your longer shifts, how you should expect the work times to fluctuate depending on the situation, a reminder of how to refer to Link, the other Champions and royals with the proper honorifics (which for Link was either Master Link, or Sir Link depending on his personal preference that you would have to find out for yourself), and got given a schedule that corresponded with Link's that you were expected to revise and follow. Not to mention, you were given some quick advice on some interpersonal tips on how to communicate effectively with Link, considering that he preferred to keep verbal communication to a minimum. Not that your job was to get too chummy with him anyway, but there were times where you would have to talk to him. You were instructed that you were to remain invisible. That your presence around him had to be near non-existent, and as ignorable as possible, as not to become a hovering entity. As harsh as the instructions were, you understood the reasoning behind it, but you believed that you could at least form some sort of a friendly, professional bond with him nonetheless.

Although not explicitly mentioned in the briefing, it was to your understanding that Link had been under the protection of three guards that were fresh out of training prior to you. Their names had been long lost on you, but there was clearly a bit of pressure to outperform them as you were the one-man replacement. Not that would be much of an issue anyway. You were confident enough in your skills and knew the do's and don'ts of the job, so as long as you didn't slack off, you had nothing to worry about.

You turned to follow Link's gaze as he looked down at the Guardians being trained in the western courtyard. You watched the scene with interest, as you had never had the chance to stop and watch it before. It was fascinating. The ancient technology was an enigma, but the Sheikah had done extremely well to study and crack down how to get the Guardians up and running. There was still a way to go until they were controllable and fully operational, but things were looking positive so far.

Link appeared to have free time for the next few hours as the princess wasn't due to leave the castle until three. It was evident from him wearing his regular (and slightly scruffy) day-to-day clothes as opposed to the Champion's uniform. You wondered what Link did in his free time, but you would undoubtedly find out soon enough. So far, he seemed quite content studying his surroundings, occasionally stopping to view sites of interest. You began your first shift now since it was an appropriate time to introduce yourself and get on solid, amiable, acquaintance terms with Link while he was free.

Link finally turned away and walked along the catwalk into the building ahead as you followed behind, giving your surroundings a once-over. If you were going to act as a higher-skilled guard, then you would need to assess yours — and, more importantly, Link's — surroundings at every given opportunity.

You and Link walked through the castle for the next five minutes, making your way down and out into the central courtyard. You curiously followed him through it, observing a few castle staff and Sheikah members stopping to wish you or Link 'good morning' or give a small wave and a smile. The difference between you and Link's response was that you returned the greetings with a bright grin and a wave or a cheerful 'good morning' while Link just gave a silent nod and the occasional half-smile that you received earlier. You were already learning more about Link in the quarter of an hour that you had been around him. There was a lot of speculation why Link refused to speak. Some of the other knights argued that he couldn't and had dysarthria, apraxia, or some other speaking disorder or learning disability that hindered his speech. Others pointed out that some people claimed to have heard him speak before and that he just chose not to. And others just believed that he did it to appear cool. You personally were reluctant to write it off as the latter and thought that there must be more to it. Nevertheless, you didn't want to poke your nose into his business. Something told you it was personal.

You followed Link over to the stables where all of the horses were lined up. Link went over to his horse, a dark bay one with a black mane, white ankle fur, black hooves, and a white marking from its forehead to its black muzzle. You gave the horse a curious once over, surprised to see that Link didn't have a horse that was more likely to grab people's attention, but it seemed like he didn't care much about that. It was a lot like yours, average-sized, plain, and not very flashy.

You leaned on one of the wooden poles, watching Link enter the stable and give the mare a reassuring pat. It wasn't long until he led her out and tied her to one of the wooden posts outside. He then picked up a pitchfork and a wheelbarrow and got to work clearing out the stable.

You supposed you could add 'chores' to the ongoing list of things that Link did in his free time. It really wasn't surprising. All the knights and guards did chores when they didn't have shifts, albeit reluctantly. Cleaning and taking care of your uniform, horses, and weapons were just part of the job. Some knights and guards managed to cut down on chores, bribing hall boys to clean their uniforms and weapons and paying the stable boys to take care of their horses. It wasn't explicitly against the rules, though many of your superiors would turn up their nose at the discovery. Though, the younger castle staff were always looking for ways to make a couple of extra rupees. Whether it was taking the royals' old or unwanted clothes to the pickers or doing extra chores, it didn't matter much to them. Though, it was refreshing to see that Link didn't use his position or money to avoid pulling his weight.

As Link started cleaning, you let your gaze drift to the sky. No doubt, you would be hanging around for a while. Though it only looked like the stable required some new straw rather than a full clean, so unless Link decided otherwise, you wouldn't be there for too long.

Maybe you could try talking to him? Now was a better time than any. It wasn't like cleaning a stable required much concentration.

 _'Though he does look pretty focused...'_ you mused, glancing over at him. His eyes were fixed on the ground; lips pulled into a thin line. _'No, not focused. Just thinking...'_ you affirmed, looking at him mildly.

"You know, lots of the other knights get stable boys to do their work. It's nice to see you pull your weight," you stated, smiling. Not exactly an icebreaker, but it was a start. You hoped you didn't come off as patronizing. Link snapped out of his slight daze and spared you a small glance out of the corner of his eye but continued working. "Though it does get tedious. Getting real free time — the kind without chores — is hard. It can get a little painful to watch people basking in the sun on a day like this," you chuckled.

Link didn't respond, and you awkwardly bit your tongue. Well, weren't you off to a great start? You weren't necessarily expecting a response, but even just a smile or some non-verbal pleasantries would have been fine. You would have even settled for a change in his demeanor.

Perhaps you were set up for some awkwardness. You hoped he wouldn't get too sick of you, but considering that you had a minimum seven till nine shift that could be relative to various circumstances, you figured that might be an unavoidable outcome. You could sometimes be a bit annoying. It was no lie that you could get a little too chatty. It was something you had to work on. You didn't want to give the impression to Link that he was forced to talk or even listen to you. Maybe you should make that clear?

"Hey, um...I know you don't talk much, so don't feel like you have to listen to me ramble on. I can take a hint, so if you want me to shut up, you don't have to say," you explained. This time Link stopped working and looked up at you. You took this as a cue to continue. "But uh, it will make communication between us difficult. So I wanted to ask you if there is anything I can do, and if there is anything, I should be aware of, now that we're going to be spending a lot of time together."

Link looked at you with a contemplative expression, leaning on the pitchfork. He looked up and softly sighed, mulling something over. You bit the inside of your cheek, anxiously awaiting his response.

He then looked back at you, and although reluctantly, opened his mouth and began speaking.

"I'll ask you if I need anything. I have regular private meetings with the other Champions and sometimes need to discuss confidential matters with the princess," he listed monotonously, about to turn away before suddenly stopping. "And I go to bed late," he quickly added on.

You blinked, feeling momentarily stunned. You certainly weren't expecting him to speak. It seemed as if he wasn't as tight-lipped as you thought. Though, having said that, he seemed very uncomfortable talking. You would make sure to try to avoid having to coax words out of him from now on.

A warm smile grew onto your face. Though, you couldn't deny that you felt a little privileged. You were sure that not many people got to hear Link speak.

"How late?"

Link began working again, "Usually ten...twelve at the latest."

You sharply bit your tongue. Well...it seems like you wouldn't be able to finish with your hourly minimum after all. Great...

You nodded and continued smiling, though it had become a bit strained. Link then turned away and carried on loading the staw into the wheelbarrow. You took one final glance at him and turned away, shifting your attention back to the sky, watching a mountain crow land on a tree branch.

💙❤️💚

When it was finally time for you and Link to head out, you headed over to the armory to grab extra weapons and supplies. You two briefly parted so Link could get changed into his Champion's tunic and nicer pants while you left to get changed your full armor set, as opposed to the light chainmail and leather sword strap that you wore inside the castle grounds. You two then returned to the stables to load up your horses to set off to meet up with Princess Zelda.

You and Link didn't exchange any words as you both got onto your horses and left the stable. You contently followed along behind Link as he led the way over to the front gate. Upon arriving, you noticed the princess on her horse, looking a bit disgruntled as she waited for Link. As soon as she laid eyes on him, her frown deepened, but her eyebrows quickly shot up upon noticing you trailing along behind him. Her face settled on a frown as her gaze returned to Link.

"I shouldn't have to wait for you if you're going to take this long," she remarked as you and Link draw near. Link didn't respond, so she turned her attention to you. "And who are you? Don't tell me my father assigned you to look after me as well."

You ignored her rudeness and put on a smile. "My main role is to guard Master Link, but as he is your appointed knight, I am to ensure your protection as well. I'm (Name)!"

"Ah, yes, I forgot. It's nice to meet you," she greeted transiently, though her tone wasn't as brash this time. Although, her greeting seemed entirely formal rather than friendly, as she didn't smile and turned away quite dismissively after uttering out her response.

You bit the inside of your cheek, feeling disgruntled at the princess's bitterness. Though, you tried not to take it too personally. You watched her gaze return to Link one final time and send him one last glare. Something told you it wasn't just the afternoon result of the usual Monday blues. You wondered what on earth Link had done to upset her.

The princess began leading her horse through the gates as you and Link followed along behind. You walked through Castle Town, receiving waves and attention. You kept an eye on each of the people, making sure that they didn't get to close to the horses or block the path ahead. You admittedly got a bit anxious when two boys ran out in front of Zelda's horse, startling it, but thankfully the horse didn't get too much of a scare, nor did the children get trampled on as their mother pulled them out of the way and scolded them.

Once you made it out of the main gates and into Hyrule Field, you immediately went on high alert. You began keeping an eye out for any nearby monster camps, or any Chuchu or Forest Octoroks that may pop out of the grass at any given moment.

You decided to fall to the very back so you could keep an eye on the two of them. In this type of situation, it would have been nice to have at least one other knight leading upfront so they could monitor the road ahead while you kept an eye on Link and Zelda from the back, keeping them sandwiched in the middle. Though since it was only you, you had to settle with following from behind while taking the occasional peek up ahead rather than moving to walk upfront. It was usually the smarter and safer decision when not walking on hazardous grounds.

"We'll be heading out into Hyrule Field. I have a theory that the Sheikah Slate may be the key to unlocking the Shrines around Hyrule, and now that Doctor Purah has finally got it working we can see if it reacts when in close proximity to them," Zelda announced, pulling out a heavy gold and brown slate from her bag. You didn't get a good look at it, but you recognized the blue Sheikah eye emblem on the back. She began swiping her finger across the blue screen and occasionally tapping it. You didn't fully understand what she was talking about, but you didn't feel that it was appropriate to start asking questions.

You scanned the area every once in a while. It seemed that Link had caught on to your train of thought once he glanced behind, seeing you crane your neck to scan the road ahead. Your eyes met his, and that was all of the confirmation he needed to urge his horse into a trot so he could walk upfront. You noticed the princess' frown, as he passed by her and slowed down once he replaced her position as the leader.

You rose an eyebrow pensively but didn't comment on it. Although you wouldn't have liked Link to fill in that role for you since he was one of the people you were meant to protect, it was probably for the best anyway. Interestingly enough, when out with the princess, the priority of protecting her preceded the priority of protecting Link when push came to shove. Despite Link being the focus of your job, the briefing told you that in a dire situation and you had to choose between Link and Zelda, you were required to jump in to protect her. It sounded contradictory at first, but it was logical. Zelda had limited fighting capabilities while you and Link had years of experience. Not to mention, she was a royal. It only made sense that she would become the main priority. Although Link was part of the royal court, at the end of the day, you were a Hylian Knight, and your main priority would always be to protect the royal family.

You stared at the back of Link's head. You weren't stupid. You knew Link could take care of himself. In fact, he'd last longer in a fight compared to you anyway (more or less). Anyone could see that he would do just fine. He didn't need protection at all, and that was plainly obvious to everyone around, including the people who made the decision to give you the role of his guard in the first place. Yet, the real reason why you were there was much darker than what your role's official description was. Link didn't need protection, but he needed to be preserved. He was needed for war and was an essential asset for the Hylian Army to defeat Calamity Ganon. Without him and the princess, Hyrule was undoubtedly doomed. Your job wasn't to fight all of his battles for him. Your job was a precaution so you could be there in a dire situation.

Your job was to die in place of him.

If a spear was thrown, it was your job to jump in front of him. If a bridge was falling, it was your job to shove him off it. If you were unsure if something was poisoned, it was your job to test it for him. If a strong foe came along, it was your job to fight for him. You were there to give your life in place of his. Short and simple.

"Start heading that way," she stated, pointing to the right. Link spared a quick glance behind at her hand and steered his horse in that direction. The three of you began walking down the path leading to Carok Bridge.

Once you got near enough to the river, you strayed from the path as Zelda instructed Link to head over to Quarry. The princess appeared to be following some sort of map on what you assumed was the Sheikah Slate she mentioned earlier. You wondered where exactly you were all headed, but you supposed that Zelda herself wasn't entirely sure either.

The three of you dismounted your horses after crossing the moat surrounding the small island. Zelda marched on ahead while you and Link trailed along behind, scanning the area.

"According to this, there should be a Sheikah structure just up ahead. I studied the one inside the castle and the one we passed a few minutes ago, but I haven't been able to find the connection between the Sheikah Slate and these ancient structures just yet," the princess explained, looking up at the large mount thoughtfully. "Though, it certainly would be useful if I could just _find_ the structure..." she muttered to herself with a frustrated sigh, looking around.

You and Link stood by as Zelda wandered around and scoured the rocky mount. You trusted that Zelda would make it obvious if she were in trouble. Link, much like you, was scanning the area for potential hazards. You noticed him quickly snap his head over to the trees and suddenly relax when a fox ran by. The scene made you chuckle a tiny bit. He might be taking his job a little too seriously...

Link looked over at you with confusion upon registering your quiet giggle that slipped past your lips. You blinked and stopped after being caught red-handed.

"Sorry, it's nothing. I just find you getting worked up over a fox a little funny," you admitted, smiling. Link still looked confused despite your words, but didn't reply and just went back to scanning the area as he leaned on a tree, while somehow still looking quite stiff. You did the same, although with a more relaxed posture, and forming your next words based on his behavior. "You know, don't be afraid to let loose a bit while I'm here. I know your job is to look out for Her Highness, but in a way, part of my job is to take some of the workload off your shoulders. It saves you the trouble of multitasking. Not to mention, the princess becomes my main priority when out here...though that isn't to say you're not important too, but I'm a Royal Knight first and foremost, of course."

Link didn't respond to your words but was clearly listening. You hoped he would at least bear your words in mind. You got the feeling Link would be reluctant to do what you suggested straight off the bat, but maybe once he eased up around you, he would trust you enough to keep watch so he could focus more on keeping an eye on the princess.

"Oh, and I forgot to ask this earlier, but how do you want me to refer to you? Do you prefer Master Link or Sir Link?" you inquired, glancing over at him to study his reaction. He ever so faintly turned up his nose at both titles and shook his head. You caught on pretty quickly. "I'm required to use one or the other. I can't refer to you by anything else, I'm sorry."

Even though you and Link were both Knights of Hyrule and you didn't have much to do with him prior to now, he was still technically your superior. With all of his skill, it came to no surprise that he got promoted to Imperial Guard Captain. So, you were instructed to use honorifics. Link averted his gaze and softly sighed through his nose, mulling it over. Reluctantly, he picked one.

"Master..." he muttered softly and turning away uncomfortably.

Wow, so he really hated speaking that much, huh? You felt bad that you kept asking all of these questions. It seemed he was forcing himself to give you a response as all of his answers were short, blunt, and to the point. Maybe he thought he was saving time that way? Or perhaps he preferred to say as little words as possible? You would go with the latter.

Since becoming the princess' knight, Link gained the title 'Sir' before acquiring the title of 'Master' along with the other Champions. Maybe he preferred that so there wouldn't be much difference when you referred to Lord Daruk, Lady Mipha, Lady Urbosa, and (perhaps more specifically) Master Revali. Though, even still, he felt uncomfortable with just 'Master' too. You wondered what his reasoning behind it was. Maybe he was just humble? Possibly. Though the same could be said for you but even you were okay with the title of 'Dame (Name).'

You had a little suspicion that your presence made him uncomfortable. The thought left an anxious feeling in your stomach. You understood how the whole thing must look to him. He was probably feeling a little embarrassed. Or that his position was getting little too high for his liking and the attention that came with it was starting to make him uncomfortable. Perhaps with you being there, he felt as if he was being smothered and fussed over?

"Sure," you smiled and turned to look out at the scenery. You had seen Hyrule Field more times than you could count, but its beauty would never get old. It was a shame you didn't always get the chance to enjoy it nowadays. You were always so busy.

You weren't sure how long you spent just standing around, but you were secretly relieved when you realized it was time to head back. You and Link turned to the princess, as she walked back in a huff. You shot her a questioning look.

"There's no structure here. I've looked everywhere!" she huffed.

Link didn't say anything and only looked over at her expressionlessly. While you let your eyes wander over the large rock mount. A thought came to you, and you let your gaze drift back to the irritated princess.

"If I may, Your Highness..." you began, watching as both Link and Zelda turned their attention to you, "have you considered the chance that it might be underground?"

The princess rose an eyebrow and fully turned to you.

"You're telling me that it may be under that mount?" she questioned, glancing at it. "And what would you know about Sheikah technology?"

You froze, feeling embarrassment wash over you. "Oh...not much. A while back, I overheard a conversation that some Shrines are built in strange and sometimes hard-to-get-to locations, so I was just curious about the possibility. It was just a suggestion..." you trailed off, sheepishly letting your gaze drifting away from her face and to the grass.

The princess sighed, "I think we're done here."

With that final statement, Zelda turned away and began walking down the slope and over to the horses. You could feel how warm your cheeks were as you silently followed Link back down. His neutral expression didn't falter as he followed behind the princess, like an obedient dog.

 _'Okay, so that went well. Guess I should just shut up and stick my head down a toilet,'_ you bitterly thought to yourself, fighting the urge to start frowning and sulking.

You kept quiet for the rest of the journey back to the castle. You all stopped by another Sheikah structure near the walls of Castle Town. Instead of dismounting, you and Link waited on your horses as the princess studied it and took notes. It surprisingly didn't take as long as you would've thought as she soon returned to her white horse wearing an indifferent expression.

The three of you returned to the castle by five o'clock. Once the princess dismounted her horse, she was ushered away by her lady's maid as one of the stable boys led her horse back to the stable. You and Link didn't have that luxury and headed over to the stable to put your horses away yourselves.

For the next half hour, you and Link were silent as you both took care of your horses. You got changed into your chainmail and comfier attire, thankful that you could finally relieve yourself all of your heavy armor. Link, however, kept his blue tunic on and headed back into the castle as you followed behind.

You wondered why Link was keeping his tunic on. He headed up to his room and went inside, while you patiently waited outside. He spent a long while in there, while you leaned on the wall near the door, bored out of your mind. You internally cried out in joy as Link came back out, no longer carrying the Master Sword on his back and no longer wearing his chainmail. He didn't look as scruffy as he did earlier and you could only assume that he spent the time bathing and cleaning himself up a bit. You pushed off the wall and followed as the blond began venturing through the castle.

You followed Link through the corridor, trying to recall where he was meant to be now. You checked the time on your pocket watch. It had just gone seven. You were still in the process of memorizing Link's schedule. You wracked your brain for what was at seven o'clock until it hit you. Seven was when all of the Champions had dinner together. Although you didn't spend too much time in the main areas of the castle, it didn't take a genius to figure out that Link was leading you to the dining room.

As you walked through the halls, you took the time to admire the architecture of the castle. It was rare you got to be in a place so ornate. Pillars were lined up on either side of the corridor, and large windows let in light. You looked at some of the stained glass windows that you passed. All of them depicted moments in Hylian history, some of which featured all of the reincarnations of the hero. Some showed the Hero of Twilight and the invasion of the Twili while others rendered The Hero of Time and the defeat of Ganondorf. Some windows even showed historic moments as far back as the Sky Era, depicting the Fall of Skyloft and the Hero of the Skies. You had only seen similar architecture in the main hall back home, though the stained glass windows there portrayed slightly different moments in Hyrule's history.

"This place is beautiful. I haven't been to this part of the castle before. You're really lucky you get to live up here," you remarked. You didn't like the heavy silences that you and Link shared. You had to talk. You couldn't help it; the silence was deafening. Link didn't respond, but he was listening. "The reason behind it isn't great obviously, but in times like these, it does you good to stay positive and find the silver lining, even if it's something small. Anything to keep your spirits up for now."

You smiled but didn't expect a response. You may have sounded a bit happy-go-lucky, but most people had this serious and slightly melancholy aura to them. Obviously, you couldn't blame them; a civil war was coming. It was a natural reaction. Yet, sometimes, being around them could get a bit suffocating. You could only take so much negativity.

You had to admit; you were jealous that Link a nice room in the main part of the castle. Your quarters weren't bad by any means, but it was quite small and basic, filled with the bare essentials, similar to your room back home. You wondered how nice Link's room was. No doubt, he had one of those fancy, modern spring beds and a special rack to keep the Master Sword and the Hylian Shield. Not to mention, he got to eat in the royal dining hall. Nayru, you could only imagine how delicious the meals were.

The thought of food made your stomach faintly growl. You blushed, hoping that Link didn't hear it. You hadn't eaten since your lunch break, which was only just some lousy salad sandwiches, an apple, and a lukewarm coffee. You were looking forward to your dinner. Unfortunately, you would have to wait until you went off duty and go searching for something to eat. You would definitely miss the eight o'clock dinner in the knights' dining hall so you would probably have to whip something up when you got back to your room. From now on, your evenings would likely be dining alone in your room or out at a restaurant, considering your new schedule. You made a mental note to go grocery shopping next time you had a chance to go into Castle Town.

Link slowed down his prompt walk and turned to some fancy, double doors. Boisterous, booming laughter, frustrated curses, and chatter could be heard from inside. You took your place near the wall as Link opened the door. You began to stare off at the blue vase across the hall, beginning to slip into a daydream to amuse yourself. Though instead of going in, you noticed Link hovering.

You turned your head to see what was wrong, first noticing his hand on the door handle. Your gaze drifted upward to his face. He was looking down at you, waiting for something. You blinked and looked at him questionably.

"What is it?"

Link motioned his head to the door. Your gaze traveled to the ajar door, and then back to Link. You immediately shook your head, finding the invitation almost absurd.

"No, no! I'll just wait out here. I'll eat after my shift. Go enjoy your meal with your friends!" you smiled reassuringly.

Link looked like he wanted to say something but immediately went against it. He didn't protest and went inside, shrugging it off. You heard some of the other Champions call out to Link and welcome him in. You heard Lord Daruk inform him in his booming voice that they had cucco and vegetable soup for starter. As soon as Link shut the door behind him, your smile disappeared.

Your blank stare traveled to the window. The sun had begun to set, casting a faint golden glow through the windows. It was beautiful, lighting up the stained glass windows, making them cast multicolored rays onto the carpet.

You looked at the image of the Hero of Twilight in the window opposite you. The image of the Hero of Twilight in his wolf form racing across Hyrule Fields with Princess Midna riding on his back as they rode off to Hyrule Castle in the distance. The windows must have been millions of years old along with the castle itself. You wondered how many Links and Princess Zeldas had walked these halls. You recalled that sometimes the old legends of the hero and the princess were told incorrectly. You remembered overhearing a frivolous dispute over the color Hero of the Skies' loftwing. One guy argued that it was grey, the second guy argued that it was purple, and the woman claimed that it was blue. The one in the window, however, was green. Perhaps that settled it?

You stood by the door for about an hour and a half. You could hear the chatter and laughter come through the door. You couldn't make out what was being said through the door, but you doubted it was anything of any importance. If they were going to speak about anything important, it would be during their meetings.

You slightly jumped and got snapped out of your daze as the door opened. You quickly rid yourself of your plain expression and turned your head to the doors. Out came Lady Mipha and Princess Zelda. Mipha gave you a polite nod, which you returned with a bow of your head to the Zora princess before she left down the corridor as the princess left in the opposite direction, looking troubled. Shortly after, Link came through the door, briefly meeting your gaze and heading in the direction Mipha went.

"Did you enjoy your meal? I heard the royal kitchen make the best meals in all of Central Hyrule. Especially the steaks! Apparently, they cook amazing steaks! How do you like yours done? I'm a medium-rare fan myself!" you grinned, jumping right into your habitual chatter. You promptly followed along behind Link like a duckling making idle talk. You then heard your stomach make another faint growl, and you decided that you should probably stop talking about food. Especially warm, juicy steaks.

You and Link continued up the main staircase and walked back to his room. By the time you got there, you were just longing for the day to end. You were ready to go back to your room, eat, have a warm relaxing bath, and go to bed. As you neared Link's room, you began talking again.

"It's been a long day, but I'm glad I've finally been able to meet you. You wouldn't have known me prior to now, but I'm friends with Rolph and Ciram, who I'm sure you know. It's to my understanding you've worked with them before?" you asked, referring to the second and third best royal knights, who you often hung out with. Link glanced at you over his shoulder and nodded. "Right. Anyway, again, I'm delighted I've been able to properly meet Hyrule's best knight! I'm a bit of a fan of yours! I've heard you're particularly talented with a sword," you admitted with a winsome grin, watching as Link stopped to look down at you as you both made it to his room. "A-Anyway, are you retiring early?" Link nodded, hesitating in front of his door. "Well, in that case, my shift is done for the day. I'll see you in the morning. Have a good night!" you waved, and Link silently nodded in farewell. Link entered his room as you turned around and left, eager to get back to your room and eat.

💙❤️💚

You let out an exhausted sigh, flopping down on your bed after finishing your curry pilaf. You looked at your day clothes crumpled on the floor in a heap. After you stopped at the armory to drop off your chainmail and sword, you immediately stripped out of your day clothes once you had returned to your quarters.

You shut your eyes, enjoying the tranquility. It was one of the things you looked forward to when you finished your shifts — a nice calm evening.

You snapped your eyes open to the sound of a crow cawing outside your window. You groaned, realizing that your tranquility was short-lived. You hauled yourself up off the bed and crossed the room over to the window and opened it.

As expected, a mountain crow stood on your windowsill preening itself. You quickly let it in, making sure no one was watching. You reached out to its leg, finding the thin, metal canister attached, painted black and carefully camouflaged. You opened up the top, removing the small piece of white paper. You sighed and moved to read it under the light of the oil lantern on your writing desk, unrolling it and scanning the message written across.

_I'm in town. Meet me at Durro's at 1:00._

_\- M_

A smile grew onto your face. You opened up your lamp and held the paper over the flame, letting it burn up and turn to ashes. You made your way over to your cabinet and poured some oats into your hand, laying them down for the crow to peck at, giving it a few strokes that were well received. It deserved a reward for coming all of this way.

You checked the time on your pocket watch and groaned. You knew that you would only get a few hours of sleep. Not only that, but you would have to be up early tomorrow morning.

After the crow finished its meal, you opened the window and let it fly into the night. You closed your window and sat back down on your bed. You had a few hours to sleep before you would have to wake up. You would need all the sleep you could get. You set your alarm clock for midnight and climbed into bed after turning off your lamps.

You buried yourself in the blankets and shut your eyes. Eventually, you fell into the clutches of sleep.

💙❤️💚

You woke up to the sound of your alarm ringing. You moaned and rolled onto your stomach, trying to gather your bearings. You reluctantly got up, left the coziness of your bed, and got ready for your early morning meeting.

You threw on a black tunic and some dark brown pants and boots. You then crouched down to remove the faulty floorboard in the corner of your room and unwrapped your secret weapons from their brown cloth. You chose to bring your dagger as the usual precaution, as a sword would make too much noise as you walked and would be too eye-catching. You slipped it into the holder on your brown belt. You then pulled out your hooded black shawl and slipped that on over your tunic, making sure it covered your weapon. You put the floorboard back in place and checked your appearance in the full-length mirror, remembering your last essentials.

You raked around in your medicine cabinet and pulled out a sneaky elixir. Without taking too much time to think about it, you quickly chugged it and almost gagged when you moved the empty bottle away from your lips, enduring the repugnant aftertaste. It was always the monster parts that gave it the rotting flesh smell and the slightly waxy taste, making it extra revolting. As if crushed, liquefied bugs weren't revolting enough.

You walked over to your vanity and raked through your makeup bag. You pulled out your favorite red lipstick, encased in a black, metal casing with a decorative red heart around the lid. You carefully applied it to your lips and checked your appearance. A more familiar face now stared back at you and you softly smiled in approval. You then put your lipstick away and quietly left your room.

You cracked open your door ever so quietly, checking left and right for anyone walking down the hall. You took a few moments to listen very carefully for the sound of any footsteps before slipping out. With the small help from the elixir, you made as little noise as possible as you snuck through the corridor where all of the knights' quarters were lined up on each side. You quickly left through the main door and out into the eastern courtyard. You quickly pulled up your hood and promptly made your way down the path, eager to get to the meeting spot before you were late for the third time in a row.

You quickly crossed the courtyard and over to the eastern gate. Unfortunately, you couldn't avoid getting seen by the guards stationed outside the pedestrian gate. It was the worst thing about venturing out, but what other choice did you have? Climbing one of the walls would look _extremely suspicious_ and would likely draw in more attention compared to just walking through the gate and playing it cool. Thankfully, a lot of people passed through the eastern gate and you knew for a fact that, secretly, quite a few of the castle guards could barely remember a face so the likelihood of them remembering you in the dead of night was far-fetched. That said, they weren't idiots, so you tried to change up your exit route every so often to give each of them time to forget you.

You lowered your hood to avoid looking suspicious and walked into Castle Town, venturing out into the lit streets. You pulled up your hood again and crossed the street.

The town wasn't nearly as loud and as populated as it was during the day, but it was still full of life and noise in the early hours of the morning. The oil street lamps were lit and lined up on either side of the street, illuminating the sidewalks and roads. There was muffled chatter from the pedestrians walking home and faraway hollering from drunkards mulling after stumbling out of the taphouse, combined with the faint barking of a dog in the distance. All of the shops were shut and bars were beginning to close their doors and kick people out as everyone retired for the night. Only a few lights came from bedroom windows belonging to the night owls who refused to go to bed just yet. Carriages and carts made their way up and down Mainstreet with horses hooves clopping against the cobblestone roads to places unknown.

You avoided getting close to anyone and slipped into the nearest alley to keep out of the street light. The darkness of night tempted you to close your eyes and go back to bed. Even though you were so very tired, that option was obviously off the table as you had work to do. You kept close to alleys and sparely populated areas and avoided the main streets where you could. You passed a drunk slob loudly snoring as he leaned on a trash can and the occasional junkie smoking a blunt filled with blue nightshade. You heard that while they were good for stealth when cooked into a meal, but they could make you high as fuck if you dried the flowers wrapped them in paper. You had heard somewhere that they contained dopamine.

When you reached the western area of Castle Town, you slipped into Welter Alley. It was a shady place, infamous for getting you into a lot of trouble if you were caught skulking around there. The twisting alleyway was dark and grim, tucked away from the popular streets of Castle Town to house many niche shops, bars, and brothels, along with a big black market selling all kinds of strange, illegal, and sometimes dangerous artifacts. A place as disreputable as it was, naturally, many would think you were up to no good. It was home to many attacks, kidnappings, and muggings. No person who came to Welter Alley ever had any pure intentions. The people who hung around there were unusual, disquieting, and sometimes threatening, often behaving fairly suspiciously. It wasn't the type of place you would want to accidentally wander into while drunk or high. Who knows what would happen to you and where you would wind up, come morning.

You passed by many people, all of which ignored you, only giving you the usual passing glance. You kept a calm face and avoided meeting anyone's eyes as you walked through the damp, cramped passage. Welter Alley was always much worse at night, but you appeared to have gotten lucky tonight, as everyone seemed content in minding their own business. If you kept your nose out of theirs, then other people were likely to keep their nose out of yours. It was an unspoken rule, that only those who were looking for trouble breached. And trouble they would undoubtedly find.

You slipped out of the alley after almost tripping over a stray, black cat as it crossed your path, looking quite startled as it hissed at you. You rolled your eyes and emerged out of the last alleyway and out onto the main sidewalk. You stopped in front of a local tavern, The Triforce, spotting the sign hanging above the door with the ancient symbol painted on to attract any good historian or patriotic local to come in and have a drink. Ignoring the 'closed' sign on the door, you swung it open and stepped in.

Immediately you were met with warmth. It was a stark contrast to the cold, crisp evening outside. The heat came from the fire across the room, giving the empty bar a cozy atmosphere. The chairs were all stood on top of the tables for cleaning and the room was silent, besides the soft crackling of the fire and the muffled voices from the living area upstairs. As soon as you shut the door behind you, you caught the attention of the barkeeper, Durro. He stopped wiping down the bar, grinned, and came over to greet you.

"Kiroha! It's so nice to see you! She's in the back; I'll let her know you're here!" he smiled, shaking your hand.

"Thanks, Durro, it's nice to see you too," you smiled, taking off your shawl and hanging it on the coatrack. You took a seat on one of the stools at the bar, eyeing the bottles lined up on the shelves as Durro quickly left the room through the 'Employees Only' door behind the bar and rushed upstairs.

Barely a minute passed when you heard hurried footsteps come down the steps and rush into the bar. You immediately turned to see Minea with a big grin on her face, which only widened when she made eye contact with you.

"Kiroha! _Sabien_!" she gleefully cheered, pulling you into a tight embrace. You returned it with a grin of your own.

"Minea! Din, you're here! I didn't think I'd be seeing you until June! I was so shocked to see that the message was from you!" you grinned as Minea took the seat next to you, looking exactly the same as the last time you saw her. Native Sheikah white hair, copper skin, and crimson eyes with a young face as fresh as a raindrop.

"Yeah, I literally had to beg First Sister Athiel to let me come in her place. I really wanted to see you, so here I am!"

"I'm gonna go upstairs. Now you ladies are allowed one free drink each! I don't want to come back to find that the shelves have been cleared," Durro jokingly warned while you and Minea chuckled.

"Yeah sure, Durro. Have a nice evening!" you smiled.

"Give me a shout when you're leaving so I can lock up. Goodnight, you two!" he waved, going up the stairs as you and Minea bid him goodnight. After he left, Minea turned to you with an excited grin.

"So, how are you? How's it been working under Lady Nyra? Please tell me she's treating you well!" you asked, turning back to the young Sheikah girl.

"Very well! I've been having so much fun touring Hyrule with Third Brother Antid! I've just come from Zora Domain and it's _so beautiful_! I love seeing the sights! We've been working on the Divine Beasts in each region, and of course, Third Progenitor Nyra has been overseeing the operation. You should see the Divine Beasts! They're massive!" she explained animately, using her hands as she spoke.

"That's amazing! It's good that Lady Nyra is keeping you busy. Farore, you must be having so much fun..." you sighed wistfully, comparing Minea's day to yours. While she was out and about seeing all of Hyrule, you were standing outside of doors for hours on end. "You know, you didn't have to come out all this way to come see me, y'know?" you reassured, remembering how long the trip was from Zora Domain to Castle Town.

"Nah, it's fine. Besides, it's more convenient that I came to see you with the report instead. I'm here to take a look at the Guardians, and then I'll be returning home for a while before heading back out. You probably won't see me around, so I decided to come see you now," she chirped.

"Well, thank you for coming!"

"It's your first day trailing the hero, right? You must be glad to get into action finally."

"Yeah, I've been counting the days to when I've been able to do some _real_ work. Escorting nobles is so dry, not to mention, just about every other knight here is an arrogant, overly patriotic asshole. Sometimes I need to get out of there before I put my head through a wall," you scoffed, rolling your eyes.

"Well, at least it's over now," she reassured. "You probably want to get back, so let's just jump into your report."

"Sounds good. What's going on?" you asked, getting up to prepare two gin and tonics for you and Minea.

"The Order is concerned that we have a mole among us," she began, as her tone become serious.

" _What_? You mean amongst our sectors?" you frowned, returning to your seat and sliding a glass over to Minea.

"No, Lady Nyra has assured us that we don't have a spy among our ranks again. We suspect that the mole is one of the people living here in Castle Town," she explained, taking a sip of her drink.

You snapped your head to the stairway, immediately thinking of Durro. You sighed and lowered your tone. "Minea...if we have a mole among our connections in Castle Town, then why are we _here_?"

"Calm down, Kiroha. Durro and his family are close friends of the Order. It's safe to talk here."

"How can you say that when we don't know who the mole is?" you pressed, frowning.

"Because we know who they're feeding their information to," she smirked, licking her lips in anticipation. She always got fired up whenever any issues arose. Usually, it meant someone was going to die, and nothing else got her more excited. Much like a wolf in a cage about to be fed.

Your eyebrows shot up in interest, "Do tell."

She leaned in before jumping into her explanation. "You know those wackjob conspiracy theorists who stand on the sidewalk every day and preach nonsense about the war and the apparent 'end of the world'?"

"Yeah?" you replied, taking a sip of your drink.

"Well, surely you're aware that some of these conspiracy theorists speak about the Order. Telling everyone that we're still around, working in the shadows, and we're more than just an old legend," she began, taking a gulp of her drink. "Well, these conspiracy theorists are increasing in numbers, more and more are coming out onto the streets to tell the world about us. Some are touring Hyrule on this missionary voyage to every region. Gerudo, Faron, Lanayru, Eldin, Necluda..." she listed, trailing off.

"I understand, but what does this have to do with our mole?" you quizzed.

"I'm getting to that," she waved you off, continuing with her explanation. "These people...all of them are gathering information from one person in Castle Town to spread our secrets far and wide. We're trying to track down who it is, but whoever they are, they're either one of our own or are in association with our mole. They are spilling secrets to this whole cult of conspiracy theorists, and no doubt to Hylian Intelligence and the royals as well. We follow the little paper trail that has been left and we find the mole," she elaborated.

"But what makes you so sure it isn't Durro? I know he's your biological uncle, but you can't let old ties cloud your judgment. You've sworn an oath to the Order of Troe, and you always have to put us first before anything or anyone else. No matter what happens, we're your family now..." you explained, looking down at the fifteen-year-old and placing your hand on her shoulder.

"I know, I know. 'Malice is thicker than blood,' I know," she sighed, "I would never put anything above the Order. But I honestly, truly don't think it's him. Just trust me on this," she pleaded.

You sighed, "Okay, if you say so."

"Thank you."

You nodded as another thought came to you. "Uh...does First—"

"Yes," she interrupted, cutting you off. "Yes, he's aware, but we will not concern him until it gets out of hand. Lady Nyra and Lord Obok are looking into it. First Brother Kozu is doing some digging to see what the royals are aware of so far. You'll be made aware of his report after we receive it. You'll likely find out during your next meeting. For now, we just wait. First Sister Athiel is checking in with all of our friends in Castle Town to see if she can pin down the source of the leak. If this gets dire, then they might call me in to poke around in their heads," she shrugged, taking another big gulp of her gin and tonic.

"Well, at least it's being dealt with. Is there anything I can do?" you questioned.

"Just your job. Build a rapport with Link and the other Champions and gather what intelligence you can. Pay close attention to their private meetings, relationships, and their fighting styles. We need all the information we can get."

"Well, in that case, do you want my report?" you asked.

"Shoot," she smiled, pulling out her notepad.

"Well, it's only been a day, but I've gathered what I can about Link. Like I've mentioned before, he's really not a talker, and that's only become more apparent after today. It's still unclear what the cause of his limited speech is, but I suspect that it may have emotional or psychological roots. His skills are refined from what I've seen so far. I've only gotten glimpses of him in training a few times in the past, but I noticed that he's is extremely alert at all times, especially when outside of the castle. Therefore indicating long-term experience with surprise attacks in the field as his hearing is quite acute, rivaling that of a Sheikah. I need more time to test and analyze his intuition skills but with a guy of his skill and position, I imagine they're quite sharp. He's also kind of stoic? Personality of a rock! Hard to talk to, nothing seems to phase him and he's got some Din-awful social skills. Though, despite this, he appears to be quite popular even without getting too friendly with the people around him. No doubt that can be traced back to his roles as Hylian Champion, Imperial Guard Captain, and the Master Sword's Chosen One. I'm yet to see him directly interact with any of the other Champions but they seemed quite pleased to see him when he turned up for dinner. It's still unclear what his relationships with each of them are. However, interestingly enough, his relationship with the princess is strained. She doesn't appear to favor him and has no trouble talking down to him. I don't believe she likes having a chaperone, particularly him. Link's feelings towards her resentment are unclear as he hides all of his emotions. Signs point to this being intentional. As to how Link feels to having me around, again, unclear, but his demeanor has been quite stiff and awkward," you shrugged while Minea noted down your words onto her notepad. "I did my best to initiate friendly conversation to make him feel more comfortable, but I know it'll be a work in progress to get him to come out of his shell and ease up around me."

"Did you see any of the other Champions?"

"Only Princess Mipha. The Champions have their dinner with the princess at seven o'clock in the main dining hall. Note that down as they're distracted for an hour. Oh, and Link and the princess go out into Hyrule Fields to study the ancient shrines, as they did today. I imagine they may broaden their search soon. The princess has an interest in the sciences, so she may begin to conduct experiments on Sheikah structures. The princess also has this Sheikah tablet thing? I haven't any idea of what it is or what it does but _—_ "

"The Sheikah Slate?" she asked.

"I guess? I don't know; it was this brown and gold stone slab with the Sheikah symbol on the back."

"That's it. It's ancient Sheikah technology created to activate Sheikah structures. It was created to be used by the Sword's Chosen One to assist him in taking down our Lord Ganon. It activates the Divine Beasts, the Guardians, The Sheikah Towers, and apparently the Sheikah Shrines as well. The Divine Beasts and the Guardians have, of course, been activated, but I can't say the same for the Shrines and the Towers. The last recorded account of when they were activated was back during the first Calamity, 10,000 years ago by the Sword's Chosen One. They're said to bestow a great treasure on anyone who passes their tests," Minea elucidated, sipping her drink.

"Is there a chance the princess will open the Shrines?" you inquired.

"Unlikely. There's no way to redirect power to them."

"Then I suppose we don't have much to worry about there," you confirmed, taking a few gulps of your drink.

"There have been rumors that the princess is in possession of the slate. I suppose this now confirms it. Lady Nyra will be very pleased to hear this," Minea smiled, noting it down.

"Is that it?" you asked, as Minea quickly went over her notes.

"Unless you have anything else to tell me, yeah. Though, there is something else I should tell you before I let you go," she mentioned. "As we prepare for war and the best moment to strike, the Progenitors have announced that they'll be picking the next generation."

"So...Lord Ganon has decided that he wants three new ancients by his side..." you mused, a soft smile hiding your excitement.

"The race is finally on," she grinned, "may the best man win!"

"Do you believe Lady Nyra will pick you?" you inquired.

"Pfft! Are you kidding me? I'm aiming for the top spot, I'll have you know!"

"Oh, I don't doubt it! But you know what I mean," you smiled, rolling your eyes.

"I think so. If I'm going to be optimistic, I think she's taken a liking to me," she bashfully smiled.

"That's good to hear."

"But what does it matter? I want my chance to be chosen as the First Progenitor. Everyone is going to get really competitive now, even more so since this time, whoever gets chosen for the top spot will rule Hyrule under Lord Ganon's guidance. I mean, who on earth is going to pass that up?" she shrugged.

"I suppose so, but you can't deny that Third Sisters and Brothers tend to get chosen for the spot as Third Progenitor. Just like I will likely take Lord Obok's spot as Second Progenitor unless he chooses Second Brother Nako instead."

Minea grinned, "But you won't let that happen."

"Of course not. I'm not going to lose to that sly, little shapeshifter," you smirked. "But having said that, it doesn't mean I won't be aiming for the top spot as well, just like you, First Sister Athiel and First Brother Kozu."

"Challenge accepted Second Sister," Minea competitively smirked which you wholeheartedly returned.

"Well, I should be heading back now. I need to get back and get some sleep since I have to be up at six," you announced, getting up and finishing the rest of your gin and tonic.

"Will you be coming back home soon?" she asked, getting off her stool and following you over to the door.

"I don't know when I get the chance to return to the Stronghold. I won't get much time off with my new 'promotion,' but we do get leave. No doubt Lord Obok will want to see me soon, so I imagine First Brother Kozu will get that sorted out in the near future," you responded, putting on your shawl.

"That's good. I really miss you. I want some time to hang out before King Ganon's return. There's no guarantee that you or I will survive to see the New Era," she sadly smiled.

You sighed and rolled your eyes, "Don't be silly. Of course, you and I will survive the Calamity. You're more than my best friend; you're my sister. Even if we're not biologically related, were bound by the Malice in our hearts. Don't think for a second that it can be trounced by something as fickle as Hylia's children. We'll win the war, and you and I will spend a lot of time together afterward. I promise."

Despite your slightly cheesy speech, Minea smiled and pulled you into a hug. You returned it with a smile of your own before you both broke apart.

"Good luck with Link. _Ran'al._ "

" _Ran'al_ ," you waved, pulling the hood over your face. "Make sure to give Loga a kiss and a hug for me," you winked. You opened the door and hurried off back to the castle, ready for the day ahead.

* * *

**_Check my[Tumblr](https://earl-april.tumblr.com/) for updates!_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N (June 5th, 2020): Fun Fact: 'His/Her/Their Majesty' and 'His/Her/Their Highness' aren't the same. To refer to a King, Queen, or any other sovereign, you refer to them as 'Majesty' and refer to princes, princesses, and anything related as 'Highness.' So if anyone is writing a story or fanfiction involving royalty, you now know the correct honorifics for each! If anyone is curious when exactly this chapter takes place in the timeline of flashbacks, it's following Daruk's Mettle (Daruk and Link's conversation on Vah Rudiana) but prior to Zelda's Resentment (where Zelda snaps at Link in front of the Tena Ko'sah Shrine). Each chapter is going to be split in half. 'A' chapters will be pre-Calamity along with accounts from Link's Journal, and 'B' chapters will be post-Calamity with accounts from Reader's journal. I hope this quells any possible confusion. Don't be afraid to leave a comment if you have any other questions! I imagine the Order to speak Calamity Ganon's native tongue, so I created a language for him. You don't really need to know what they mean, but the translations and pronunciations for the words are below.
> 
> Sabien (Sa-bin) = Hello/Hi
> 
> Ran'al (Ran-al) = Goodbye


	4. Chapter 1B: Desolation

## Desolation ****

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[💧 **Click for ambiance** 💧](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo4JIT8jMtI&t=3926s)   
  


**_Journal Entry #83_ **

**[12:23]**

**[July 3rd, 10443 AFGC]**

_Something happened yesterday._

_I met a strange guy._

_I usually have nothing to talk about since I live quite a boring life, as evident from the past 82 entries. However, yesterday something did happen. Unfortunately, I don't know where to begin describing it. The night was such a rush, some parts of it have completely gone from my mind. In which case, perhaps I shouldn't be writing about it right now. Maybe I need to think a little longer._

_I'll talk about it in the next entry._   
  
  


Amongst the darkening sky, heavy rain pattered down ceaselessly. Every few minutes, thunder would rumble, and lightning would flash in the distance. The rain was troublesome and annoying but also came with a nice ambiance for anyone sitting at home with a warm fire and a steamy mug of warm safflina tea in their hands, looking out the window at the weather. Most would have a loving wife or husband sitting on an armchair, with a few kids playing together on the rug. Or some would be visiting friends or at home with their parents, growing up, or merely staying over for a night or two. Some were even sitting at home alone, but happily looking up at the same sky with someone else that they knew, or would know in the near future. One way or another, everyone had someone. Whether they were close by or further away, someone was there. Besides, for a select few, of course.

You coughed and pulled your hood back over your head as it blew off for what must have been the hundredth time. You were shivering inside your cloak, internally grumbling and attempting to distract yourself from the cold gnawing at your skin and the discomfort of the rain by focusing on the task at hand and clinging onto the thought of all the money that you would soon be rewarded with, in return for crouching down for hours in the dark, cold, wet storm, taking apart a broken Guardian for its parts.

You were one of those select few. Unlike many, you were clearly _not_ inside a warm house, and you were _not_ near someone of significance (or anyone for that matter). You had no contact with your parents, no friends, no husband nor wife, and _certainly no children_. You weren't looking up at the sky, but the idea of someone else out there disassembling a 30 ton Guardian in the middle of a storm was a comforting thought, but only thought nonetheless. Very, very unlikely that you weren't only one silly enough to be standing in Hyrule Field, miles from civilization with only a crabby horse and a dead Guardian for company.

 _"Day to light, dark to night, fall the sands of time..."_ you softly sang, shivering hands working, turning and unscrewing screws. You needed more distractions. You were getting moodier and moodier by the second, and you needed something to raise your spirits and stop you from walking off and not completing your work in time. _"Let the years, like the gears, of a clock, unwind..."_

The only lights came from your lantern beside you, emitting a soft golden glow. It, unfortunately, wasn't able to give much light into the interior of the Guardian, leaving you to occasionally shine it around to the best of your ability and blindly use your hands to feel around for ancient screws, praying that there weren't many bugs inside. You didn't want to imagine shoving your hands into a spider's home.

Your nimble fingers were shoved inside the open compartment of a Guardian that was long past its working days. Luckily for you, this one didn't jump to life as soon as you got near it, so you were free to take it apart as you pleased. You had already stripped it of its legs and its eye with those parts already stuffed in large bags and covering and loaded into your cart. However, you were in a rush to strip it for the rest of its valuable parts before dawn and get to your client before they got too impatient. Unfortunately for you, they lived in Northern Akkala, and that was at least a four-day ride (if you weren't slowed down by poor weather and Ganon's minions) from where you were, which happened to be somewhere in Hyrule Field (which was essentially the middle of nowhere). You believed you were somewhere near a Sheikah Tower, but how far you ventured from that was anyone's guess.

"Damn, you've seen some rough times, haven't you?" you asked, gazing at the Guardian's bashed form as you removed an ancient screw and placed it in your bag, hands diving back in to unscrew another one. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw your horse, Nirro, look at you in question. You turned to look at him frowned. "No, not you! You need some rough times, you privileged bag of fleas!" you scoffed. Nirro just snorted, kicked the grass with his hoof, and turned away, as if he were saying 'fuck you.' You just rolled your eyes and turned back to taking apart the Guardian. "Hmm, it looks like someone struck you down with some arrows, your eye is all bashed back there, and you've got a few scrapes from a sword. I wonder which brave soul came through here and beat you up. Oh well! You're still salvageable yet! There's always someone to buy what you have to offer, even if you've got a broken eye," you shrugged. "I wonder if you have an ancient core in here somewhere...ah no. Guess they've been taken by someone else," you sighed, seeing the empty box where the core was kept. Bummer, they always made you at least 80 rupees on the market. Though, with ancient screws, gears, and the odd shaft that you had, you were looking at around 190 rupees on top of the legs and eye, which would come to about 570 rupees. So all in all, 760 rupees was a good salvage. "Look at me, Nirro; I'm talking to a Guardian! Oh, Nayru, I really need to make some friends," you chuckled, shaking your head. Nirro just snorted again, as if saying 'never going to happen.'

You brought your frozen fingers to your lips and breathed on them. Unfortunately, unscrewing ancient screws was a fiddly business. It was challenging with the addition of gloves, so you, unfortunately, had to untwist them with your bare hands and let your fingers almost turn to ice from both the freezing air and the cold metal. You heard Nirro neigh and kick the grass to get your attention.

"Yes, I hear you! I know you're wet and cold! So am I! But I need to get this done otherwise neither you nor I will have any money for food or shelter next week!" you called out, dropping another screw into your brown bag. Nirro just neighed again, letting out a small whine. "I'm almost done, just hang on another few minutes!" you sighed, working on unscrewing the last screw, which was a little tighter than the last one as moss and algae had grown around it. You heard Nirro neigh louder, and start bucking at the cart with his back hooves. You turned to him with a hot glare. "Hey! Pack it in! That cart cost 2,000 rupees, I won't let you tarnish it like you did with the last one!" you hissed. Nirro made eye contact with you and neighed again, looking back over the field.

You looked at him questionably, and stood up, picking up your lantern and walking around the Guardian to check what had got him so riled up. You rose an eyebrow, just barely making out a distant light and the silhouette of a horse galloping across the field. It was hard to tell for sure since it was quite a few miles away, but you could hear it gradually louder, heading in your direction. You turned back to Nirro.

"Still scared of literally everything, huh?" you questioned, folding your arms and raising an eyebrow as Nirro just huffed, still restless. You rolled your eyes and clicked your tongue. "Alright, we can go. I'll just grab this last spring, and then we can head off, deal?" you questioned as he huffed in agreement but looked back at the distant light with unease. "Don't worry about it; it's probably just some traveler. If they happen to be dangerous or Yiga, then I'll handle it, okay?" you sighed. Nirro turned his head away as you unfolded your arms and turned back to your work, placing your lantern down on top of the Guardian, crouching back down and getting back to quickly unscrewing the last screw.

Your hands fumbled with the metal as you exhaled, seeing your breath disappear in front of you. You cursed how cold it could get at night, despite it being the middle of summer. Just your luck.

You could hear Nirro kick the ground anxiously, but this time, you ignored it, determined to get this job done. You were frozen, tired, soaked to the bone, and would definitely have a cold come morning. Amongst the pattering rain and the soft rumbles from the sky, you could hear the galloping gradually getting closer. You decided to check who it was in a minute, provided they chose to stop and didn't just ride on past you. You cursed as you pulled on the tight screw, hoping to Hylia that you wouldn't break it if you put more pressure on it. If you broke it, that was 12 rupees down the drain. It wasn't much, but for someone like you, every rupee counted. But the price broken screws? You'd be lucky if you made 1 rupee.

 _"In your mind, walk through time, back to..."_ you trailed off as you stopped, listening to the hooves approaching and slowing into a canter and then to a trot. You turned around to look at Nirro, making a racket as he huffed and struggled in the traces and reins, stomping his hooves and probably trying to get free and runoff. It was always comforting to know he was willing to ditch you at a moment's notice.

You then turned your head to your left, looking at the figure on the horse, slowly approaching your area, cautiously walking around the Guardian. Your light just faintly illuminated the dark cloak of the person's horse along with the rider's silhouette. The hooded rider turned their head to you after gazing at Nirro for a second, as he obviously stole their attention with his constant kicking and stomping.

You looked up at the person from under your hood, noticing the lantern in their hand, along with the bags saddled to the horse, taking note of the few weapons on their back, like the bow, quiver, shield, and sword. A soft amber glow came from inside their cloak, but it was impossible to decern what it was.

The figure dismounted the horse, and you stood up, immediately grabbing your bow that was leaning against the Guardian beside you and backing up. You went to grab an arrow from the quiver on your back until the figure quickly put their hands up, signaling that they meant no harm. You raised an eyebrow and watched them take a few cautious steps towards you, assessing them. You slowly lowered your bow as they slowly lowered their hands.

Now that they were closer, you were able to get a better look at them. It was still hard to see under the limited lighting, but they appeared to have a dark waterproof cloak of indeterminable color, a red and blue (or possibly black) Hylian tunic, tan pants, and a pair of brown leather boots. Their face was still obstructed, but you got the feeling that whoever they were, was young and a guy judging by their build. You cleared your throat and decided to see what they wanted.

"Can I help you?" you called out, still keeping a firm grip on your bow, just in case they decided to be clever.

The person was silent and glanced to the side as if contemplating their response, but it never came. You raised an eyebrow and wondered if they were mute or were just shy or something.

"I thought I was the only one crazy enough to be out here in this weather," you joked, in an attempt to get the person to ease up if they were wondering if you were threatening. (Which would be a logical conclusion since you were the only one holding a weapon.) Though no response came and you awkwardly smiled. "If you're looking for the nearest stable, you're quite far away. There's nothing for at least 23 miles," you informed them, wondering if he was a lost traveler.

The figure came up to you and stood in front of you. You tensed up, wondering if they were going to do anything, but you reluctantly kept your bow lowered, choosing to not show any aggression. Now they were up close and next to your lantern, you were able to see the navy Hylian hood they were wearing.

"Where is the Central Tower?" they finally spoke. You blinked, recognizing the voice as masculine despite it being quite soft and smooth.

"Uh...I'm not too sure. I think it's a few miles back there," you pointed behind you, the way you had come and where you had been that afternoon, hoping you were correct in your guess of how far away it was. (Though it was hard to recall since you ran in a random direction when you caught the attention of some Decayed Guardians when you approached the tower to give it a closer look for anything worth selling.) "Are you okay? You seem quite lost."

"I'm fine," they said and glanced down at the dead Guardian that you had been raiding. You nervously followed their gaze.

It had always been a bit ambiguous whether stripping Guardians for their parts was legal or not since people warned against going near them. Though the laws in Hyrule had all but collapsed since the Calamity along with the Hylian government, allowing for the country to ever so slowly slip into anarchy bit by bit and leaving the remaining civilizations to fend for themselves. The big towns and cities were run by the royals or chief of that region while the smaller villages scrambled to form a little government or council of tribalists and bureaucrats to maintain order in that area. But on the road, people just did what they pleased. There were no rules. So, until told otherwise, you would continue to raid Guardians as it was a profitable business that put food in your mouth and kept a roof over your head.

"Well, uh, I'm gonna be heading off now. You should get out of this rain too, it's a long ride to Riverside Stable," you smiled, putting your bow away, crouching down and finally unscrewing the last screw and placing it in your leather bag, grabbing your lantern and tools. You walked over to your cart, where an impatient Nirro stood there glaring. You dumped your bag, lantern, toolbox, quiver, and bow onto the cart. You checked around to make sure you had everything but stopped and turned back to the figure. "By the way, you don't happen to know what time it is, do you?"

"It's just gone 11."

Well, at least you had enough time to sleep. Sometimes you were in such a rush you didn't have that luxury.

You nodded and glanced at your horse and then back at the hooded figure.

"You're lost, aren't you?"

The guy paused for a second and then reluctantly nodded.

"I figured as much. No one besides me chooses to travel in a storm," you sighed. "Where are you headed?" you asked, out of curiosity.

"Central Tower."

"Uh...after that."

"Hateno Village."

"Wow, you're way off. You should probably find some shelter from the storm since you'll never get your bearings in this weather. Best wait till morning; otherwise, you likely get ambushed by the undead at this hour."

You jumped up onto your cart and grabbed the reins. When you looked back, you saw the person mounting his horse again. You bit your lip and pondered for a minute. He awkwardly fiddled with his reins and glanced around.

You were in no better situation than they were. Although you had a rough idea where you were, you still weren't too sure how far you were from the nearest settlement. For a second, you considered heading back in the direction of the Great Plateau, but that would just set you back a day if you were ever going to make it to Akkala on time. You had already cut it fine by slacking off yesterday, you couldn't afford to waste any more time. You would definitely be late, so taking shelter near a big, familiar landmark was out of the question.

"Hey..."

The person looked up at you.

"Unfortunately, I'm heading away from the tower, so if you want to stop around there, then you'll have to go on your own. But there are probably some caves around here somewhere, so if you want to take shelter with me, I wouldn't mind the company," you offered with a light shrug. It could have been your imagination, but you swear you saw a small smile appear on the person's lips beneath the hood. They nodded their head, and you smiled.

"Okay, then. I think there might be one near those large rocks down there, so let's go," you smiled and clicked the reins and Nirro immediately started walking, definitely in a hurry to leave. You silently prayed that you were heading over to some genuine rocks and not a Stone Talus. Hylia knows that you had made that mistake before...

The figure followed beside you on their horse as it contently trotted along, not even bothered by the rain. You couldn't help notice how well-tempered it was, in the stark contrast to Nirro, who always seemed to be upset at something, whether it was you, the storm, or even just something as insignificant as a singing bird.

A few minutes passed with just silence until you decided to break it. You fiddled with the reins and glanced over at your new companion.

"So, what's your name?" you asked, a bit awkwardly, unsure if they disliked conversation.

"Link," they simply replied, and you nodded in response.

And just like that, the conversation died. You awkwardly bit your lip, wondering if there was any use asking them another question when all they gave were the bare minimum of responses. Just as you were wondering what their deal was, you were pulled out of your thoughts by their voice speaking up.

"What's yours?" they asked suddenly, catching you a bit off guard. Though, you quickly recovered and responded.

"(Name)."

Link nodded and didn't say anything following that, so instead, you voiced the next question for them following the awkward brief pause.

"So, what's got you all the way out here, traveling at this hour, Link?" you asked, glancing at your left to gaze at them. They glanced back at you from under the hood and hesitated before replying.

"I'm on a journey."

"A journey, huh? Well, you don't look much like a tradesperson, and if you were Yiga, you would have revealed yourself by now or at least acted a bit shady. You're carrying more weapons than the average traveler or treasure hunter, not to mention they're fancier too. Still, you're not wearing the uniform of a Sheikah or a soldier..." you observed, then you frowned, coming to the most likely conclusion, "are you a thief?"

Link suddenly looked up in what appeared to be surprise at your suspicious inquiry and shook their head. You looked them up and down again and began to wonder.

"So, what are you then?"

Link hesitated again, mulling over their response. "Traveler."

Your eyebrows shot up and internally called their bluff. Though, if they didn't want to tell you, then that was their business. Chances were, they were like you and were in some shady business. In which case, you didn't want to know the details.

"Huh, so a traveler after all, then," you nodded with a smile, before looking forward again, spotting a nearby cave a few yards away and guiding Nirro towards it so you two could scope it out. You turned to Link to see them eyeing you and your cart. You tilted your head as they looked back at you in a way that could only be decerned as curious.

"What do you do?" they quietly asked. Their tone was a bit hard to read since you couldn't see their face and so you wondered if they were actually interested or were just returning the questions to make polite conversation.

"I um..." you began, glancing back at your loot and turning back, contemplating your response, recalling that they saw you with that Guardian. You couldn't count on the hope that they were a halfwit so you couldn't lie to their face, deciding to keep it vague. "I'm a scavenger," you informed them and checking for their reaction. They didn't seem shocked nor concerned and just proceeded to the next question.

"Were you stripping the Guardian?"

You stopped yourself from immaturely giggling at the innuendo, and answered with a smile. "Yeah. I'm going to sell the internal components."

It wasn't a lie. You just left out the part about the legs and the eyes, hoping that it was too dark and rainy for them to notice that the legs and the eye were gone. Many scavengers sold the screws, gears, springs, cores, and shafts, but you were the only one you knew that sold the harder to remove, 'unconventional' stuff that made a lot of money on the black market.

"No cores?"

"It didn't have one."

Link nodded in understanding as silence fell upon the both of you again as you approached the cave. You jumped off your cart and grabbed your lantern, and looked inside. It didn't go too far and didn't appear to house any monster camps or a colony of keese. You glanced back at Link to see them dismount as you quickly guided Nirro inside. You placed your lantern down and grabbed your supplies bag, and started to make a fire with the dry sticks that you had gathered earlier in preparation for camping outside.

You lifted the hood from your face and hung your waterproof cloak by the fire to dry, using some sticks that you kept on your cart. As you began to create a fire, you looked to see Link digging through their bags attached to their horse. You noticed them pull out an amber and blue glowing slate that was attached to their hip and stuff it inside one of them. You quickly managed to create some sparks with your flint, and soon enough, you had flames. You smirked victoriously and sat down, digging through your bag of food for some dinner.

Link stood opposite you, and you looked up to see them remove their navy cloak and weapons. You blinked, seeing the reveal of dark golden blond hair and the full view of the red Hylian tunic that was slightly damp from the rain. Link turned to you and scanned your face while you scanned theirs. Your suspicions about them being a guy were confirmed. His long hair was tied into a messy, low ponytail with strands framing each side of his face. His skin was smooth, moderately tanned and youthful, looking quite unblemished under the light of the fire. However, your focus was pinned to his eyes. They were a striking cerulean and were quite stunning, to say the least. It caught you off guard and was a pleasant surprise. He looked quite different from how you imagined. For some reason, you thought he would look ghostly pale with a sour complexion, but it turned out that wasn't the case at all.

"You can use some of my sticks dry your cloak by the fire if you'd like," you offered, as he nodded, going over to your cart to pick up two sticks, hanging his navy cloak next to your army green one by the fire. Once he did that, he sat down next to you while you continued to dig through your bag. "Are you hungry? I've got enough food in here to share."

Link nodded eagerly, and you smiled, fishing out a mix of vegetables, ground rock salt, herbs, and boneless cucco thighs, deciding to make some cucco and vegetable soup. You held it up to Link with a questioning gaze, seeing if he was okay with that. He inspected it and nodded in eager approval as you placed your cooking pot above the fire.

It was then Nirro began to get the familiar whiff of cooking food and started neighing and huffing to get your attention. You turned to him and sighed. "Yes, yes, I'm coming..."

You grabbed the bag filled with Nirro's travel food and gave him a few handfuls of hay, making a mental note to find a nearby stream for him in the morning. You took the time to detach him from the cart so he could lay down in a corner and pulled out the foldable front legs of the cart to prevent it from toppling over. You returned to Link to see that he had begun peeling and dicing the vegetables and put them in a pot to cook. Link handed you a wooden bowl and a cup of water once you sat down and you thanked him.

"So, you said you were heading to Hateno, right?" you asked, breaking the silence. Link nodded in response. "Do you live there, or are you just visiting?"

"Visiting."

You nodded, once again taking note of his minimal responses. You couldn't tell whether he liked you or not since he seemed pretty brief in his responses, so maybe he just preferred not to share much with a stranger? Or perhaps you were annoying him with your neverending conversation? You weren't entirely sure. You didn't have very good social skills.

"Where are you going?" he asked, gazing into your eyes for the second time. He didn't smile nor frown, but just stare at you with a neutral expression that you were unable to read.

"Me? I'm on my way to Akkala...work n'stuff," you shrugged, giving him a half-smile as you began to dice the meat. Link pointed at the cart with a questioning glance as you glanced behind at it and saw he was specifically pointing at the bags and giant Guardian legs covered by a brown cloth to shield them from the rain and, more importantly, onlookers. You learned the hard way to keep your shady shit hidden when a nosy farmer came over while you were in Kakariko, viewed the legs, and notified some Sheikah guards about what was on display in your cart. Long story short, you had to dump the legs on the guy who ordered them and rush out of the village like a thief in the night. You bit the inside of your cheek and elaborated following a brief pause. "I need to deliver them to a client."

"What's under that?" he inquired, gazing at the covered legs in particular. You couldn't tell whether he was suspicious or just interested since Link's mood seemed to be quite hard to read. Neither his tone nor facial expressions (or lack of them) gave you much indication of what was going on inside his head.

"Oh, just some old junk from a scrapyard. There's a blacksmith in Goron City who reuses the metal and turns it into armor," you lied. You used this lie all too often, now being able to say it without missing a beat. It wasn't a full lie but a bending of the truth. The blacksmith existed, and he did indeed reuse old metal, but you had no junkyard crap to deliver today, and you were not on your way to Goron City.

"You're on your way to there?" he asked, looking you in the eye. For some reason, it unnerved you.

"Yeah, after I visit this client."

Now that was a full lie.

You heard Nirro snort, and you sent him an icy glare. You wouldn't let a damn horse rat you out as you got him to turn his head away and stay silent. Though, you soon realized that he turned away to view Link's horse with a critical eye as it came over. You and Link watched the interaction as Link's sweet-tempered horse greeted your ill-tempered one. You watched Nirro swiftly turn his head away from it with a snort and munch on his hay. You chuckled in amusement, though you also wanted to scold Nirro for being rude.

"You still haven't told me the name of your horse," you mentioned.

"Epona," Link replied.

"She's very well-tempered. I'm jealous," you smiled, glancing at him.

"I don't yours likes mine very much," he observed, watching the two horses interact.

You chuckled, "Nirro is a grouchy, old thing. He hates everything and everyone."

You noticed the soft, small smile on Link's face as he watched Epona appear unfazed by Nirro's rudeness and leaned gently into him as a friendly 'hello.' Nirro let out a low groan and kept an eye on her but didn't necessarily push her away and continued to chew on his hay lazily.

"If you don't mind me asking, but why the interest in the Sheikah towers?" you inquired.

You thought back to when you walked by the Central Tower that morning, almost getting cremated when the two Decayed Guardians jumped to life as soon as you approached them with the hope of taking them apart for parts. Unfortunately, it was a nasty surprise to discover that those two were still alive and kicking. If it weren't for the fact that you were riding Nirro, you definitely wouldn't have gotten away in one piece.

Number 1 rule about Guardian scavenging: never get off your horse until you have checked the perimeter and each Guardian to make sure that they're all truly inactive.

The Sheikah towers had risen from the ground about a week ago. You had been in Lurelin Village at the time, so you were around to notice the buzz that it caused. Everyone made a huge fuss, with some stating that it was the mark of the apocalypse — a sign that Calamity Ganon was finally ready to blight the rest of Hyrule. You discussed the unexpected occurrence with a few travelers and merchants on your way out. Most seemed either excited or terrified by them. Though, one man who claimed to be an archaeologist stated that he had ventured up to one, informing you not worry, for they were ancient towers built by the Sheikah tribe, untainted by Ganon's magic. He had allegedly spotted the eye insignia at the top and recognized the similar architecture to the shrines — which had also caused widespread distress after they all jumped to life and started glowing amber, much like the towers.

"I need to activate it."

You rose an eyebrow.

"If I activate it, it will give me a map for this region," he elaborated upon seeing your look of skepticism and confusion.

You were still confused, but you went against pushing even further. You somehow got the feeling there was a big explanation needed for what Link was alluding to. Maybe you were being a bit nosy? If that's the case, then you might as well change the subject.

"I see. Well, good luck out there, I guess," you smiled, not too sure what to say beyond that. Link nodded as you turned your attention back to the fire. "Ah, the soup's ready!" you grinned and removed the pot from the heat. You and Link shared out the soup into each wooden bowl. You held up your drink with a dorky smile. "Cheers."

Link slightly smiled and clinked your cup with his and took a sip while you did the same. You tried the soup and were happy with the results. It wasn't exactly gourmet cooking, so you were reluctant to give yourself too much praise, but you could proudly say that you had stepped up from partially undercooked seared steaks from a few years ago. You chewed the cucco and vegetables and were pleased to see that they turned out well too.

"So...how did I do?" you asked, with mock apprehension.

"The meat is cooked very well..." he complimented quietly, looking down at the soup with a faraway look.

"Thank you. You did well with dicing the vegetables," you returned before noticing his puzzled expression. He looked off his own world as he looked down at the soup and tentatively took another sip, eyebrows furrowing further. "You all right?" you asked, concerned.

Link blinked and quickly snapped out of it. He looked back up at you and nodded. You looked him over once more but didn't dwell on it.

The two of you drank the rest of your soup in comfortable silence more or less. As you enjoyed your meal, you took the occasional sneaky glance at your partner. You couldn't stop your mind from drifting to him. Having someone with you was a strange sensation. You weren't used to company of any form, and the mere feeling of having someone sitting beside you in front of a campfire was very different to what it felt like when you were alone with Nirro. It was too early for you to say whether you liked it or not, but you couldn't deny that having another person next to you was different.

You stole your third glance at Link and bit the inside of your cheek. You had known him for an hour at most, but you had picked up that he was a little strange. Though, everything else about him was shrouded in mystery. Your attention shifted to his tunic. It was the average Hylian tunic that you could buy anywhere, but it suited him well. Your gaze then shifted to Link's hair and face. You weren't going to lie to yourself, he was astoundingly attractive. His cheekbones were defined, and his jaw was sharp with a cute round button nose and classic Hylian pointed ears with a pair of lapis hoop earrings hanging from his earlobes. His hair was wet at the tips from the rain and was quite disheveled as it clearly hadn't been brushed in a while. He looked as if he had just rolled out of bed. Yet, despite his unkempt, boyish appearance, he still maintained an aura of being well put together despite his slight disregard for his appearance.

Link glanced at you, and you snapped out of your daze at being caught red-handed for staring. His cerulean eyes gazed at you, softly frowning in a way that seemed to ask if everything was alright. Though his non-verbal inquiry almost went unheard as you observed the life in his eyes. They shined under the light of the fire, showing a balanced and calm soul that was also full of energy and spirit. You couldn't describe let alone explain the feeling, but he looked so young, yet so old. It was overwhelming almost, as you could feet your own heart thumping inside your chest. You admitted to knowing many people, but you certainly weren't close enough to any of them to know a lot about them. Yet, you believed you knew someone special when you saw them. And somehow you knew, that whoever this person was, they were special. That much was clear.

You snapped out of your trance and responded to Link's gaze. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to stare. You're just a little odd to me, and I can't wrap my head around why," you admitted. Link slightly tilted his head, a small frown appearing as he appeared a bit uncomfortable. When you took note of this, you immediately corrected yourself. "Oh, not like that! I don't mean it as an offense. What I meant was that you're just a little different from other people I've met, that's all."

"How so?" he asked. His voice was so level and as smooth as glass. It was a shame he just didn't keep talking...

"I-I dunno...uh...you're just different, I guess. Besides your fancy stuff and abundance of weapons, I can't really put my finger on it."

You smiled awkwardly as he stared at your face for a few seconds and then turned away and stared into the fire. Slowly your smile disappeared, and you awkwardly looked away.

 _'Nice one (Name)...'_ you thought, biting your lip.

You finished your meal and collected both yours and Link's bowls and empty cups and set them aside with the pot to be washed in the morning. You then went to grab your sleeping bag and pillow and laid them out on the floor near the fire before assessing the state of your clothes. You quickly noticed that although your cloak seemed to do its job protecting your black tunic, it wasn't able to keep the rain off your brown pants and boots. You decided that you might as well get changed entirely since you needed to remove your day tunic and chainmail anyway. Though, there was one small issue with that. There was nowhere private to get changed in the cave, and you certainly couldn't go outside to get changed and get wet and risk running into a Bokoblin or a Lizalfos while naked. Although the thought was funny at first, you had heard some disturbing horror stories about some people getting raped by monsters while out bathing or just simply while they were making their way from one place to another. The thought brought a cold shiver to you as you brushed it away, going back to weighing down your options. Your pants were too wet to go to bed in, and you couldn't possibly sleep in your chainmail. So alas, you would have to tell Link you were going to get changed and hope that he wouldn't turn around.

You turned back to Link to see him watching you with a look that you couldn't quite put your finger on. You blinked, returning his gaze, expecting that to make him quickly avert his gaze, but to your surprise, it did not. In fact, Link didn't seem fazed by it at all. It was only when you awkwardly cleared your throat that Link snapped out of it.

"Is it okay if I get changed behind you? I'm all wet," you asked, though it wasn't really much of a question than it was a statement.

Link nodded his head as you gathered your change of clothes and walked to the back of the cave as Link's eyes followed your every move. You placed your clothes on the stone floor and went to lift up your tunic, but then stopped, noticing Link's blank, unwavering gaze. You blinked and pursed your lips.

"Um..."

As soon as that left your lips, Link jumped to life and snapped his head back around. You let out an amused chuckle when you noticed the tips of his ears turn a subtle shade of raw pink.

You quickly changed into the comfy clothes that you often wore to bed, taking occasional glances at Link and making sure that he didn't peek. Once you had fully changed into a thin cream blouse, brown shorts, and bare feet, you laid out your wet clothing on some sticks near the fire and plopped yourself back down next to Link. It was then you took note of his slightly wet clothes.

"You're not going to get changed?" you asked, and he shook his head.

You found this odd but didn't think too much by it. It sounded uncomfortable to you, considering that he was likely wearing chainmail too. He was drier than you by comparison (for some annoying reason), but that still didn't warrant any ideas that a change of clothes was unnecessary.

"Why do you have so many weapons?" you asked, resting your head on your knee as you drew patterns into the stone floor with your finger. Link spared you a glance and shrugged.

"It's dangerous out there."

"Dangerous enough to be carrying two broadswords, a spiked Boko shield, a bow with regular, fire, and bomb arrows, a soldier's spear, a Wizzrobe's Lightning Rod, an iron sledgehammer, and Hylia knows what else?" you questioned, with a raised eyebrow and an amused smile. "Quite the diversity. You sure do get around, don't you?" you chuckled, hoping that you didn't appear too intrusive.

Link looked down, "The journey I'm on requires a lot of battles. I need to be prepared for what is to come."

"That makes sense. These days, weapons are far and few, and there are more monsters than the entire population of Hyrule. Trust me, I would know, my work takes me everywhere. Since the Great Calamity, the economy hasn't been great. Poverty is increasing and more and more people are turning to crime just to get by," you sighed.

"Have you?" he questioned, turning to gaze at you. You paused, feeling a bit uncomfortable by suddenly being put on the spot. Though you got the feeling, he was asking out of interest, if anything.

"I've bought some stuff from the black market now and then..." you admitted, going against the idea of bringing up your partially morally ambiguous occupation and your concerning knack for theft.

This seemed to spark Link's interest as he rose an eyebrow. "There are black markets in Hyrule?"

"Yeah, they're everywhere. Most of them tend to be around the popular settlements as I'm sure you can imagine. There's one in Goron City, one outside Rito Village, one near Zora Domain, a small one in Kakariko, and few in Gerudo Desert with the biggest one in Gerudo Town," you listed, ignoring the shameful truth that you knew where they all were because you were technically one of the importers. It was no lie that some of your best clients were merchants on the black market.

"There weren't so many before..." Link mumbled, gazing down at the floor. Although his expression appeared blank at first, you noticed the subtle frown traced into his skin. You figured, he must have thought you didn't hear him for he seemed shocked when you replied to his quiet remark.

You furrowed your eyebrows, "Before when? I don't think there was ever a time when they weren't popular."

"Not even before the Calamity?" he asked in a quiet voice with his head down.

"I...honestly couldn't tell you. That was over 100 years ago, and ever since then, things haven't been great. Only Zoras and a handful of other individuals remember it. For people of our generation, it's all we've ever known, so we don't have anything to compare it to. Though I've visited and passed through the Zora Kingdom a few times and from the stories I heard there, it was nice. A distant age of peace and near-perfection," you sighed, recalling the tales you had been told when in Zora taverns and simply by overhearing passing conversations. "Though I'm going to be frank with you, I'm not sure I fully believe it. I know I wasn't there to experience it, but I have a hard time accepting that things were as great as people say. Better? Certainly. But perfect? No. I don't believe Hyrule has ever been perfect at any point in time from the moment it was created. I just don't buy the notion that everything from the people to the dirt under our feet was blessed by the Goddesses until it was tainted by Calamity Ganon," you shrugged.

Link was silent, and you began to wonder if he disagreed with you. You didn't want to think that your opinion reigned above everyone else's, but you couldn't help but frown when anyone voiced their black-and-white views. The world didn't work that way. It was easy to delude yourself into thinking that there was a right side and a wrong side and that the eternal bad suppressed the eternal good over and over again until the light prevailed in the end, which was half true, but nowhere near as simple as many simple-minded people thought. You found that it was usually the same type of people. Although not always, it tended to be the ones that didn't get around that held those views. The people who had always stayed in one location and would always stay there. You assumed those views must have stemmed from hearing tales, both tall and short, from others and basing your opinions on those alone, instead of getting around an experiencing Hyrule for yourself. The problem was that tales could be exaggerated to be more exciting, censored, changed for a particular audience, or even entirely made up. So that alone spoke for itself. That was part of the reason why you decided to get a job that let you travel. You didn't want to end up as a close-minded person that recycled other people's opinions.

Link didn't comment, challenge, nor agree with your opinion and simply gazed into the fire, completely immersed in his own thoughts. You went against disturbing him with your chatter and got up to grab some logs for the fire. You quietly tended to the campfire, letting your mind go over the events of that day.

You had spent a good portion of the day in Hyrule Field, looking for Guardians. You had scoped out the area with the hope of possibly getting up to the Plateau, but you soon discovered that the travelers were right when they said it was impossible to get up there. The place was so high up, you might as well have been trying to reach Skyloft from the Surface. So, for the duration of the day, you spent your time looking for a Guardian in the area and giving up on the hope of finding some untouched ones on the Plateau.

Your plan was to quickly make this delivery, relax in an Akkala stable for a few days and regain your energy and then sell the other parts you recovered before continuing your endless job of what you had dubbed, 'searching-and-stripping' (immature innuendo intended). Your work had two parts, for you were self-employed in one and a part-time employee of a junkyard in the other. The second one didn't sound so great because the truth was, it wasn't. You spent some of your time fixing things there with classic hard labor and paid hours. The pay was okay, but the job was just as dangerous as Guardian hunting was. You had lost count of how many times you had almost fallen to your doom off mountains of metal, almost burnt to a crisp by almost tripping into a blazing furnace, and almost cut your face and torso in half with a giant circular saw. The issue was, you were paid to put yourself at risk like that, and although you could have looked for another (safer) job, employment was scarce, and you were unable to live off the money you made on your self-employment alone. And although you were happy making 700 rupees from salvages, the job was an unreliable source of income as it was quite hit-or-miss in terms of whether you would find enough Guardian parts to sell and someone who would want to buy them. 700 was slightly above the average, but despite appearances, it really wasn't much when you had to spend most of it on inns, food, Nirro's food, replacement tools and weapons, toiletries, and clothes. Suffice it to say, when you had to pay for overpriced bare essentials, the money decreased very quickly, usually leaving you with 20 rupees at best by the end of the week. But that was not the worst of your worries. You were concerned that there would eventually come a day when you would run out of Guardians to raid or your job would get you in big trouble with one of the regional authorities, and you would have no more money for even the most meager pension. It was the harsh reality of living in a country that was just barely clinging to public order with the loosest federation of settlements while enduring a century-long depression and counting.

You dumped the logs onto the fire and gave it a poke with a stick before tossing that onto it too. You returned to your cart and fished out your planner from your bag and sat back down next to Link to give yourself something to do that didn't involve a conversation with the man next to you. (Even though that was the one thing that you wanted to do right now, as your curiosity was the only thing filling your mind.)

You flipped open your planner and looked through the week at how much self-employed time you had before you were needed back at the junkyard. You had a special contract with your boss where you would only show up when you were required for something specific that they couldn't do without you and some other specialized workers. Luckily for you, you had talent and experience as an engineer, so you were able to make a few negotiations with your boss to work hours that better suited your schedule rather than theirs, provided you imported some of their goods to clients. Though, unfortunately for you, the bit about being a specialized worker was a double-edged sword. Your boss didn't let you have a full-time job as an importer since your skills were valued, so that meant you weren't able to escape the dangerous labor for Nirro and a cart entirely.

You scanned the days and saw that you were needed back for three weeks starting August 28th, which was over two months away. You sighed, not looking forward to it. The place was very claustrophobic, and just about everyone there disliked you, with a select few wanting to make one of those almost accidental deaths a reality.

Just as you began to scan the list of clients that had put in orders for Guardian parts and other junk, you unconsciously looked up to see Link walk to the mouth of the cave. You raised an eyebrow and watched him walk out into the rain. He stopped and lifted his head up the sky, utterly unbothered by the storm as the rain soaked through his tunic and hair. His arms were lifelessly at his sides, and his eyes were closed, letting the water drip down his face and neck and into the fabric of his clothes. You tilted your head in confusion, unable to fathom out the appeal of standing out in the pouring storm when he had just been warming himself by the fire.

You put your planner down and got up, walking over to the mouth of the cave where Link stood still, and the thunder rumbled in the distance. You stopped a few meters behind him, under the shelter of the rock overhead, not inclined to join him in the rain. You felt bad about disturbing his thoughts, but now it was a matter of him catching a cold or hypothermia or attracting unwanted attention from something lurking amongst the trees.

"Link?"

Link didn't respond, nor move an inch from his spot or even turn his head. His body remained motionless and still as if he didn't even hear you, which you had half a mind to believe.

"Link, you'll catch a cold," you warned calmly, wondering if he was upset by something. You hoped that you weren't the cause of it. "Nighttime always draws out more monsters. You should come in before one comes along and sees you."

Link finally turned around to look at you, blue eyes gazing back into yours. His expression was blank, but he wasn't as nonchalant as he looked. His eyes were full of emotions that you couldn't even begin to pick apart. Though, you could identify one. Desolation.

Link slowly made his way back over and stopped in front of you. You gave him a smile, albeit weak. Link's unfocused eyes shifted away from you as he rushed over to his bag. You stood there dumbfounded, watching him quickly gather his stuff, rushing over to Epona and attaching his bag to her rump. He took her reigns and guided her over to the mouth of the cave, walking past you. When you finally shook yourself out of your state of shock and gathered your thoughts, you quickly caught on to his intentions.

"H-Hey, it's dangerous out there, not to mention wet and cold! You should wait till morning to—"

Link cut you off, speaking in a flat, indifferent tone that sounded more like recited words from an encyclopedia of Korok seeds than passionate words of gratitude. "Thank you for letting me stay with you and share your food. I hope I can repay your generosity one day."

His eyes didn't meet yours as he walked forward and out into the storm. Epona whinnied and seemed bothered by venturing out into the rain once more, but didn't argue against her master's wishes.

Seeing Link suddenly make moves leave you put you in an internal panic. You struggled for something to say but settled on speaking your mind, for it was the only thing you could think of that made any sense amongst your scrambled thoughts.

"L-Look, I'm really sorry if I did or said anything to bother you; I should really learn to keep my mouth shut. I'm not used to being around other people for long, and I don't know—"

Your ramblings faded when Link cut you off again, still not looking you in the eye.

"It's not your fault, don't worry about it."

His words did nothing to put your mind at rest but did do enough to get you to stop talking. You gripped your arms from the cold air and to ease your nerves.

The truth was, you didn't want him to leave. His unforeseen departure suddenly made you realize how alone you really were. The sudden, unpredictable turn of meeting someone in the middle of nowhere and during a storm in the middle of the night was as unlikely as it sounded. Then, having said person agree to spend the night with you in a cave and share a meal and conversation together was even more unexpected. Only for them to leave with no warning an hour later was deeply disappointing, to say the least.

Maybe you enjoyed the company more than you realized. The person didn't need to be Link or anyone specific, in fact. It was just the feeling of not being on your own, even if it was only for an hour at longest. The feeling of someone being there, having someone around was a very foreign sensation, but pleasant. Suddenly, you felt colder than you would when standing by the cave's mouth during the cold night.

Though, what could you do about it?

"Have a safe trip..." you mumbled, averting your gaze to the floor.

Link nodded and jumped up onto his horse and pulled the hood over his head. You looked up to see him tap his feet against Epona's sides as she suddenly began trotting away. You watched Link disappear amongst the trees before turning around and wandering back over to the fire.

You slumped down, thankful to return to the heat, but somehow you were still cold inside your body. You shivered, looking down at the goosebumps on your arms.

You gazed into the fire, mind wandering. You reminisced on the events the whole evening and the unexpectedness of them. You sat there for what felt like half an hour, thinking.

You could only assume that Link had left to go to the Central Tower. He seemed pretty determined to get there, after all. Hylia knows why. What business could he possibly have there? Maybe he thought there was a chest nearby? Well, good luck, you couldn't find anything there so what chance did he have? You couldn't blame him of course; they would catch anyone's eye. It was only natural to think they would have something worth stealing. If they weren't so big and dangerous to climb and if you had the time, you would look around at the top and enjoy the view. Perhaps there was a chest up there? Either way, the Guardians and mountain rocks had all the treasure, you would ever need. Grab some Guardian parts and maybe a few gemstones, and it would be raining rupees.

Hey, maybe one day you could gather the guts (or stupidity) take on one of those Decayed Guardians? They would no doubt have an ancient core in there somewhere. They were the power source, so if they were still running and could be taken down somehow, you would have at least 80 rupees on your hands!

In fact, you could maybe try your luck with one of the Guardians around the Central Tower? There were a lot of pillars to hide behind and perhaps if you gathered enough arrows then—

Wait a minute.

_Guardians._

You jolted, eyes flicking up to the mouth of the cave in sudden realization. He didn't know. You didn't tell him about the Guardians surrounding the tower. Not to mention, Guardian Stalkers were wandering around on the plains.

Shit.

_Shit, shit, shit, shit!_

You quickly jumped up and jogged over to Nirro, who looked startled as you approached him. You ignored his suspicious look and quickly grabbed his saddle, your weapons, and haphazardly stuffed some elixirs into your pockets. You didn't bother to put on some proper clothes and only pulled on your boots and slipped on your wet cloak, pulling up the hood. You quickly got Nirro ready to be ridden as he glared at you, eyes flicking between you and the saddle on his back. It was then you finally acknowledged his gaze.

"Look, I know we've just got here, and I know you hate it when I ride you, but we need to find Link before he burns to death!" you announced, jumping up onto Nirro's back and glancing at the rest of your stuff, making a quick prayer to Hylia that no one would come along and steal everything. Nirro snorted as you hurriedly kicked your legs against his sides, not moving an inch, causing you to let out a cry of frustration.

"Look, you stupid thing! We don't have time for this! A guy is about to die, and all you care about is _staying dry_? Get a move on for fuck's sake! I'll make it up to you later! Can't you please just do this for me?" you hissed, glaring at Nirro as he avoided your gaze. He let out another snort and reluctantly began walking forward. You immediately kicked his sides again, urging him into a trot, and then into a canter and finally a gallop.

You hoped to Hylia that you would be able to catch up with Link and were right in thinking that he had headed on over to the Central Tower. The tower was quite far but not far enough to the point where he wouldn't make it there within the hour on horseback. You just had to pray that you could catch up to him before he attracted any unwanted attension. Thankfully, despite Nirro's stubborn and bitter temperament and apparent lack of trainability, he was strong and fast. His reliable speed, strength, and abundance of stamina were what kept you from giving up on him entirely (even if some days you wanted just to ditch him in a field).

You kept your wet hood over your head as you looked left and right for any sign of a light in the distance. However, the fields were as isolated as they were when you began to take apart that Guardian.

You kept riding through the fields and past the stalmoblins and stalkoblins emerging out of the ground to chase Nirro. Though you had no time for them and just raced on past them, urging Nirro to go faster until you were miles away.

You could feel Nirro getting restless with the further you went and with the rain crashing down on you, as they felt more like small stones hitting you rather than water droplets. You wiped the water from your face, as the other hand gripped the leather reins, knuckles turning white while the rest of your body uncontrollably shivered from the cold and your teeth chattered.

You almost cried out in relief and despair as the large tower came into view as you neared it, glowing a faint amber in the distance. You urged Nirro along to dash faster as you headed right for it, praying that you weren't throwing yourself into danger for nothing.

As soon as you crossed the path surrounding the small wood, you tensed up, hearing a faint whirring sound. You immediately pulled on Nirro's reins to slow him down, frantically looking in every direction. That was when you saw it. And when it saw you.

The Guardian Stalker immediately turned fuchsia, focusing its blue eye on you and Nirro. It immediately began walking towards you, its red laser locking onto your torso. It began beeping as your heart began thumping.

Nirro suddenly became restless as the Stalker rushed over to you, and you kicked your legs against Nirro's sides, quickly urging him into a gallop, and urging him to go even faster than that. Your head whipped back and forth, alternating between looking behind to check the Guardian and the way you were going. The red laser was still locked on you as it chased after you, charging its laser, crawling across the plains like a spider, and following you into the trees.

Your heart beat three miles a minute, as adrenaline pumped through your veins, fueling your flight response. Your eyes flicked in every direction, desperate to find Link or Epona while also keeping an eye out for any more Guardians that you could attract the attention of. Your hood, now fallen off and forgotten, rain soaking your hair into a wet, sloppy mess that clung to your face and neck.

"Fuck, fuck! Nirro, go! _Go, go, go_!" you screeched, desperately kicking your heels against Nirro's sides, with the hope that he would go faster. To your luck, Nirro was as petrified as you were and immediately accelerated into a dash unmatched by any other mare or stallion. However, whether it would be enough to outrun a Guardian was left to the unknown because for better or for worse, you had never had to outrun a Stalker before.

You quickly glanced behind, seeing that the Guardian had fully charged its laser. You shrieked and quickly steered Nirro over to the left to avoid the blast. You quickly covered your face with your arm, as the explosion landed to your right, the heat of the flames hitting you in the face as you just barely dodged it.

You turned back around from taking a quick glance at the Guardian, seeing that it was getting further away, struggling to keep up with you. As soon as you whipped your head back around, you saw a small, golden light a few meters away. The lamp was attached to Epona's rump as she stood near a tree, looking alarmed as she looked at you and Nirro racing down the slope.

Yet, she was without a rider.

Your eyes rapidly scanned the perimeter, trying spot Link as Nirro got closer to the glowing tower. You noticed that it was now glowing blue; however, it was the last thing on your mind as your mind was elsewhere. You soon spotted the two Decayed Guardians that you ran into earlier, glowing bright fuchsia amongst the darkness, and you felt your anxiety increase by the second.

"Link!" you yelled out, looking everywhere for a dark silhouette of a figure. You cursed, as the nearest Guardian took notice of you, its laser trained on you. You quickly directed Nirro around to the other side, looking around for the other Guardian and Link.

You quickly stopped Nirro, hearing the sound of flapping, from above. Your eyes widened, seeing Link flying down, clinging onto a wooden paraglider with a red sail. His expression was hard to make out, but the light of the moon illuminated it enough for you to see his head looking down at the Guardians below him. As if on cue, the other Guardian a few meters away from you jumped to life and aimed its red laser at him. You watched the scene, mouth falling open in bewilderment, stupefaction, and mostly fear.

"Link!" you screeched, looking up at him to meet his gaze, which shifted to you. As he floated closer to you, you were able to make out his worried frown briefly changing to an expression of shock, before returning to the frown, only stronger. You just caught his anxious expression, until your attention was stolen by another red light directed at your torso.

You snapped your head to your right to see the Guardian Stalker on the slope, crawling in your direction and emerging from the swaying trees. You got Nirro moving again as you headed over to Link, who was slowly floating down, getting closer and closer to the ground.

The laser charged again as you rode in a zig-zag to avoid the impending blast as the laser finished charging. The blast landed behind you this time as the red light returned to your form.

As soon as Link's feet hit the floor, he whipped out a claymore and immediately began running towards the Guardian Stalker, just barely avoiding the blast from the Decayed Guardian as its laser hit one of the stone ruins. You shrieked as he ran past you and over to the Guardian. The red light left you and focused on Link, as he now had two red lights locked on his body. The Guardian Stalker quickly backed up to create a more appropriate shooting distance as Link drew near, claymore in one hand and shield in the other.

"Link, what the fuck are you doing!" you screamed, watching in horror as Link slashed the Guardian. However, it unsurprisingly didn't seem to do much damage as the Guardian readied its laser once more.

You gritted your teeth and rode over, managing to attract the laser of the Decayed Guardian as it moved away from Link.

Link continued to make rapid slashes at the Guardian, aiming for its eye and momentarily stunning it. If you weren't terrified for the sake of your lives, you would have commended his performance and bravery (or sheer stupidity).

You cursed under your breath and swiftly reached out and grabbed him by the arm, urging him up onto Nirro. Despite being taken by surprise, he quickly grabbed your outstretched arm and used it quickly hoist himself up and sit behind you, arms securely wrapped around your waist. Quickly dismissing the inappropriate giddy feeling in your chest, you urged Nirro back into a gallop, running in a random direction in order to get away from the Guardians.

Another blast landed to your left, dangerously close, and barely missing you. Nirro let out a frightened neigh and quickly increased his speed.

"I can't leave Epona!" Link yelled as you rode away from the tower, losing the red light from one of the Decayed.

"Whistle for her!" you yelled back, refusing to stop or make any move to turn around when the Stalker was chasing after you from behind.

Link whistled, and in the distance amongst the heavy rain, you heard Epona neigh. Not long after, the sound of her hooves galloping across the plains got louder until she was racing after you from behind.

"How fast is your horse?" you called, taking a quick glance behind at the Guardian.

"Quite fast!"

"Well, get her to run as fast as possible because I need to accelerate if we're going to have any hope of losing this Guardian!" you yelled, making a sharp turn as another blast landed to your right.

You kicked your heels and accelerated as Link whistled again, urging Epona on. She let out a neigh, and that was all the reassurance you both would get as you rode faster and faster across Hyrule Field.

Another blast hit a nearby tree, making it topple over and almost hitting Nirro. It caused him to stumble, but he quickly jumped over it, albeit clumsily. You took deep breaths to calm yourself down as you looked around and traveled in the direction you came from, riding away from the Hyrule Garrison Ruins and heading northeast. You glanced back at Epona before kicking your feet again, getting Nirro to run faster.

Another explosion hit the grass, but this time, Nirro abruptly stopped and jumped up onto his hind legs, letting out a loud neigh. The blast hit right in front of you, spooking Nirro and causing him to stop suddenly. You threw your arms around Nirro's neck and held on tightly as to not fall off, while Link held onto your waist for dear life, almost crushing your internal organs.

"Shit!" you cursed, glancing back at the Guardian who quickly approached you. "Nirro, get a move on!" you yelled, kicking his sides.

Nirro reluctantly began running again, but now the Guardian was closer than ever. You quickly looked around for something to do, only to look in shock as Link drew his bow and aimed an arrow at the Guardian's eye, barely hanging onto you. Link, seeming almost unfazed by the red laser on his face, shot the arrow, momentarily stalling it. You looked between the wobbling Guardian and Link in shock as Link turned back to you with a hard but determined gaze.

"Focus on riding, I'll slow him down."

"Only if slowing him down doesn't involve getting off this horse," you fearfully warned, kicking Nirro's sides once more. Link nodded assuredly, before turning back around and drawing another arrow.

"I need you to keep a hold of me," Link instructed you, aiming his arrow.

Again, ignoring the subtle implications of the request, you hooked one arm around his waist to steady him and keeping a tight grip on the reins with your other hand. You quickly turned back to the front, keeping an eye on the road ahead, having no choice but to trust that Link would take care of the Guardian.

Each time Link hit the Guardian in the eye, it would wobble backward, momentarily stopping it in its chase. After the fourth arrow was shot, Nirro and Epona had galloped far enough away, leaving the stunned Guardian behind.

"We've lost it," Link announced plainly, putting his bow away and turning back to the front, arms returning to your waist as you let go of his.

"Good. Let me know if you spot any more or any monsters," you told him, keeping your eyes on the road.

Link didn't reply, but you didn't need one. You kept your eyes forward, flicking left and right, for any more hazards that would disrupt your journey.

You spotted another Guardian Stalker in the distance, but thankfully, it was far enough for you to race on past without being noticed, though you kept your eye on it. Guardians were surprisingly fast, and you had always found that even if they were ten miles away, they would somehow end up right next to you the second you turn your head.

You raced on past some stalizalfos and more stalkoblins that rose out of the ground on your journey. You could sense Link get ready for a fight, but you assured him that there was no need, as you didn't have the time nor the energy to go after them, and you weren't convinced that he did either.

It took you a while, but you soon made it back to your campsite. You trotted in and dismounted. Though you gasped upon seeing that your cart and all of your stuff was gone, with only the pots and fire left untouched.

You looked around in despair, for any possible sign that your mind was playing a trick on you. But alas, your stuff was gone. Vanished. Poof.

"Fuck!" you hissed, jogging out out the cave scan the forest for any sign of your cart. You scanned the area, distress clear on your face. You ran into the cave running your hands through your hair. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck..." you muttered, pacing around the cave.

Link approached you as you took deep breaths to calm yourself down. This really wasn't your night. Once again, Hylia seemed to have it out for you, for your silent request for her to look over your stuff was denied.

Link looked guilty as you dragged your hands down your face. Though when you removed them to look at him properly, he winced and began to bite the inside of his cheek.

"I'm sorry I made you feel like you had to come after me and lose your stuff in the process," he apologized, avoiding your gaze by staring down at the floor.

Sorry?

He was sorry?

You had just fed him, rode out into the rain for him, saved his ass and put yourself in danger for him, only to lose, not only your supplies and precious sentimentals, but your cart and scavenged goods that were worth just under a grand, and all you got in return was a _'sorry'_?

Your gaze hardened, and you gritted your teeth, opening your mouth to scream at him, your frustration from the whole night coming out all at once.

"Oh! Great! That's fucking great, isn't it? I've lost everything I had because of you! _You_ , who decided to wander off into Hyrule Field to do some late-night paragliding without even considering that there would be _fucking Guardians_ walking around because the _damn tower_ is so close to the _damn castle_!" you yelled, as Link was taken aback, the guilt now more prominent on his face. "And, what's more, when I get there, you decide to rush up to a Guardian Stalker, claymore in hand, ready to challenge it to a one-on-one fight like some idiotic, can-do show-off! I mean, are you _fucking nuts_? Do you live under a rock or something? Did nobody tell you that you have a guaranteed death wish, by just going near one of those things? Do you have any idea how many people are killed a year by Guardians? _Too fucking many_! Most of them are scavengers like me, who put themselves at risk every day just to make a living! If it wasn't for me, you would have been blasted sky-high, never to be seen again!" you screeched, jabbing a finger at him as he silently watched your outburst in shock, guilt and mild fear, not even daring to open his mouth. "You fucking crazy bastard! Look at what you've done! If it wasn't for you showing up, none of this would have happened in the first place!" you yelled before finally fully realizing what had come out of your mouth as attempted to catch your breath.

You let out an exhausted sigh, walking over to the fire that was slowly dying and flopping down next to it. So now you were without your work, money, food, a tarpaulin, a bed, Nirro's stuff, clothes, soap, a map, and all of your valuables. All you had left were a few elixirs, your weapons, your wet underlayers and cloak, and Hyrule's most embittered horse!

However, your inner reasoning kicked in, and you were able to look at the situation without your fury and frustration getting in the way. You were the one who invited him to camp with you. You were also the one who let him leave without telling him that Guardians were surrounding the tower. You were also the one who decided to leave your stuff unattended and go out in your underlayers and cloak. Granted, he did have a small part of the blame like about leaving in the first place, and some of it went to nobody at all (if you weren't counting Hylia who let it all happen), but you also knew that you were the one making the decisions that got you so angry. Hell, it was even your decision to slack off in the day and then force yourself to scavenge that Guardian in the middle of the night to not miss your deadline to the important client that was paying you a lot of money to get the legs and transport them all the way to Akkala.

Some would argue that it was nobody's fault, but you were just so angry and needed someone to blame. For lack of a better word, a need for closure.

It looked like it wouldn't be long before you received another complaint for not turning up. You now had no cart, tools, and money either, so it wasn't like you could be a few days late and hope the client wouldn't give you a hard time. Back to dangerous full-time at the junkyard for you.

You sighed, "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be yelling at you since this is my fault. I made the decisions. I shouldn't be using you as a scapegoat."

Link didn't reply, so you just chose to continue.

"Though, I am still angry at you for stupidly putting yourself in danger, though. I do blame you for that."

You sighed again, running your hands down your face. What a shit day. What a shit night. You couldn't be dealing with this. You were lucky enough to get away with your life, but now you were broke with no supplies left. No shelter, no money, no food, and no clothes.

You felt your eyes stinging under your hands, but you quickly blinked them back. No, you would not cry. You weren't six-years-old, and crying wouldn't solve anything. You would not cry and make an absolute fool of yourself in front of a stranger, and even worse, yourself.

You looked down at your soaked underlayers and your lack of a bed. There was no way you would be sleeping that night. Not after everything that had taken place and with the discomfort of your current attire.

You were shaking too, and you felt as delicate as smashed glass. Your mind was swimming, and you felt like you were slipping further and further away from being aware of what was going on around you. You were in shock, and the first thing your body thought to do was disassociate.

You heard Link's footsteps approach you, hearing him shuffle as he sat down beside you. You tensed up, feeling uncomfortable being near him. Even though it wasn't really his fault, you were still angry at him nonetheless, but it seemed as if just his mere presence was a reminder of your poor luck and the fright you had an hour ago. You kind of just wanted him to leave already. The sooner he was gone, the sooner you could start repairing the damage to your career and lifestyle and forget about this whole incident.

You took deep breaths to calm yourself down for what must have been the hundredth time that evening. Who knew you could get so worked up in the span of four hours.

Link didn't say anything and appeared to hesitate for a moment. Though, just as you considered looking up to see what he wanted, you felt his warm palm land on your right shoulder.

You then decided to look up, eye shifting from his palm to his face. Even despite your apology, he still looked as guilty but now also sympathetic. You were grateful for the non-verbal sentiment, but it did nothing to improve your situation. You were both helpless.

"You should probably try to get some sleep..." you muttered, looking back at the fire. You wondered if Link was tired, from how his body slumped forward ever so slightly. If he was, then he did a good job of hiding it.

Link looked away and got up, getting out his bed while you stayed there by the fire. Your mind kept going over the events of that evening, feeling a mix of relief and despair from how you survived three Guardian attacks and would live to tell the tale but also lost nearly everything you owned in one night. The juxtaposing emotions made you feel nauseous and exhausted.

You had no idea how long you sat by the fire, watching at it slowly died, wood and flames dissolving into ash and smoke. The heat had left, but you were too tired to care or get up by that point.

The only sounds came from outside were the clittering of restless crickets in the grass, owls hooting from the trees, and the squeaks of a cloud of keese as they flew through the sky. Inside, all you could hear was the shuffling of Nirro and Epona and the sounds of Link's light snores as he slept across from you.

You had no idea what time you fell asleep, it must have been in the very early hours of the morning. When you finally woke up, it was almost midday, and Nirro had gotten restless as he kicked you awake. You jolted and looked around in surprise.

The cave was filled with morning light and was quiet. Though, your attention was stolen by all of your stuff piled up on your cart in the corner. You blinked, wondering for a second if last night had been a dream. Your stuff looked a bit beat up, but you couldn't have cared less.

You raced up to it, going through everything and checking it was all there. Everything was in its own bag where you left it, down from your favorite tunic to that last mossy screw that you had trouble unscrewing earlier. You cried out in joy and looked around to see where Link was. Though, you quickly noticed that his bed was gone along with Epona.

You deflated and looked back at your stuff. Link must have gotten it back for you somehow and then left. You crossed your arms, feeling quite disappointed. You were thrilled that you got all of your stuff back, but you felt a bit displeased with how he just suddenly left without so much as a final farewell. Though, at the end of the day, he was still just a stranger.

 _'A stranger that you shared a near-death experience with,'_ your mind argued, as you looked out at the forest in doubt.

A small smile formed onto your lips as you shook away the thought. It didn't matter. That was just the way the universe intended it to be. Sometimes you would meet someone where you would experience something life-changing, and some would naturally assume that they would stick around. That's what always happened in novels. When the reality was, you would sometimes never see that person ever again. It was sad and anti-climactic, but that was life.

That was life.  
  


* * *

**_Check my[Tumblr](https://earl-april.tumblr.com/) for updates!_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N (June 5th, 2020): If you want to know what Reader's song is, it's fanmade lyrics by ColdFlameZero on DeviantART to The Song of Healing from Majora's Mask. Just a little easter egg to one of my favorite LoZ games, because that song is beautiful! I have a headcanon that these ancient songs from games earlier in the timeline became lullabies, old folk songs, or Hylian nursery rhymes. If some of you are wondering why Epona is described as different in appearance to the iconic chestnut fur and white mane, it's because she is technically a non-canon character in BoTW and is only obtainable through downloading through Amiibo. Though, in the promo images, Link is shown to have his default brown horse with the black hooves, black mane, etc. Miyamoto actually referred to this default horse as 'Epona,' so I think the best bet here is to assume that this is the closest we'll have to a canon BoTW Epona, hence why I used the default horse and dubbed it Epona in this fanfic. If it bothers you, I'm really sorry, but I was reluctant to use a non-canon character that can't be caught in the wild. Above is an image of Link's default horse along with a rough picture of Nirro. Nirro is one-colored since that is the hardest trainable horse in the game. I thought it was very fitting for Nirro to be one colored since he has such a temper on him! I like to think that if Nirro was a horse, you could get in the game, he would be the best one stats-wise (and maybe with an interesting backstory), but with these balanced high stats, the downside would be that he's unruly and almost untrainable so you would never be able to get the bond up to 100%. But hey, that's just my headcanon if Nirro was an obtainable horse in the game!

**Author's Note:**

> ⚠️Mature warning! This story contains graphic descriptions of violence and gore, sexual content, strong language, and imitable behavior. This story could be potentially triggering. This story is not suitable for children or sensitive readers! Please consult the introduction for further details regarding the disclaimers. The predicted age rating for this story is +18. This warning may change. Read at your own risk!⚠️
> 
> Beta-reader: itsbritneybitchh on Tumblr
> 
> Cover created by me, image featured in the cover is not mine.  
> Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild © Nintendo.  
> (Name) © You.  
> OCs © Earl-April.
> 
> © 2020- EARL-APRIL ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


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